Why it works: Milk and corn are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,955 recipes. Both carry hexanal, which smells green, grassy. The science ↓
Chicken Pates
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the filling
Mince chicken that has been previously roasted or boiled, and season well.
Stir the minced chicken into a sauce made of half a pint of milk.
While boiling, add a teaspoonful of corn starch to the milk to thicken.
Season the mixture with about a tablespoonful of butter, salt, and pepper to taste.
Prepare and bake
Prepare small pate pans lined with a good puff pastry.
Bake the puff pastry crust in a brisk oven.
Fill the pans with the chicken mixture and bake in the oven for a few minutes until slightly browned.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Milk + corntop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,955 recipes
Shared aroma: hexanal (green, grassy).
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Corn + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,324 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Milk + peppertop 22% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together26,984 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Chicken (in the method)
- Provides the main protein and body of the filling.
- Milk
- Forms the creamy sauce that moistens the minced chicken.
- Corn starch
- Thickens the milk so the filling holds together rather than running.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds richness and a smoother, silkier mouthfeel to the filling.
- Puff pastry (in the method)
- Forms the flaky, layered crust that holds the filling.
The step that matters
Adding the corn starch to the boiling milk. Corn starch thickens only when heated, and it can clump if stirred in cold or added without constant stirring. Keeping the milk at a boil while whisking gives a smooth sauce that binds the filling.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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