Why it works: Mace and nutmeg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,557 recipes. Both carry myristicin, which smells spice, warm. The science ↓
Chicken Croquettes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the meat and bread
Boil chicken and veal separately in cold water, just enough to cover; pick to pieces and chop.
Cut up one-third of a loaf of bread and soak in the chicken broth while warm.
Put all in a chopping bowl.
Season and shape
Season with salt, pepper, mace, and nutmeg.
Beat three eggs lightly and mix with the above ingredients.
Shape into oblong balls.
Fry
Fry brown in hot lard and butter, equal parts.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 7 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Veal | not in our table | 0 |
| Mace | not in our table | 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.
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.
-
Mace + nutmegtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,557 recipes
Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
-
Pepper + nutmegtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together13,015 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Veal + chickentop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,243 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-butanedione (buttery, creamy).
-
Pepper + macetop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together12,257 recipes
Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
-
Chicken + peppertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,958 recipes
Shared aroma: piperonal (bitter, coconut).
Pepper and mace barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 12,257 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Veal
- Provides the main body of meat that holds the croquette together when chopped and shaped.
- Chicken
- Supplies the main meat flavour, and its broth is used to soften the bread.
- Eggs
- Bind the chopped meat and bread so the mixture holds its shape while frying.
- Bread (in the method)
- Soaked in warm broth, it adds moisture and body that keeps the filling tender.
The step that matters
Shape into oblong balls. If the mixture is too wet or loose, the croquettes will fall apart in the hot fat. Well-bound, firm shaping helps them keep their form and brown evenly.
Swap the mace
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (veal, chicken, egg, pepper, nutmeg):
- Parsleyfits better
- Marjoramfits better
- Tarragonfits better
- Macethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against veal, chicken, egg, pepper, nutmeg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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