Why it works: Pepper and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 13,015 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Oysters Fried
Ingredients
Directions
Wipe the oysters perfectly dry. Beat an egg and mix with it a tablespoon of cream. Have fine cracker crumbs seasoned with salt, pepper and a little grated nutmeg. Dip the oysters first in the crumbs, then in the beaten egg, then roll thoroughly in the crumbs again. Lay flat on a plate, not touching each other, and set away two or three hours that they may dry. Have deep lard boil- ing, lay the oysters in a frying basket not close enough to touch and plunge them into the boiling fat from three to five minutes. Drain on a paper laid near the oven door. Serve very hot, garnished with sliced lemon and parsley. Serve with them celery salad.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| 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.
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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Pepper + nutmegtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together13,015 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Cream + nutmegtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,920 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Cream + peppertop 23% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together21,449 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Cream and pepper barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 21,449 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
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cream, pepper):
- Nutmegthe original
- Celeryfits about as well
- Tarragonfits less well
- Parsleyfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against cream, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
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