Why it works: Mace and currant are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 12% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,791 recipes. Both carry alpha-pinene, which smells pine, turpentine. The science ↓
Sauce for Venison, Beef, or Any Meat
Ingredients
Directions
Combine four large spoonfuls of currant jelly, four spoonfuls of sliced pickle, four spoonfuls of vinegar (from pickles), one tablespoonful of butter, one teaspoonful of mace, one teaspoonful of black pepper, ground, and one teaspoonful of mustard. Mix all together.
Let them come to a good boil.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 4 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Mace | not in our table | 0 |
| Currant | 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.
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Mace + curranttop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,791 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
-
Tea + peppertop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together260 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Mace + peppertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together12,257 recipes
Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
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Butter + curranttop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,856 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, pear).
-
Butter + peppertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together85,593 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Mace and pepper 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
- Currant jelly
- Provides sweetness and body, and thickens as it melts into the sauce.
- Sliced pickle
- Adds tangy acidity and a sharp, savoury bite.
- Butter
- Adds richness and a smooth, glossy finish to the sauce.
- Mace
- Adds a warm, aromatic spice flavour.
- Black pepper
- Adds mild heat and sharpness that balances the sweetness.
- Mustard (in the method)
- Adds pungent flavour and a tangy sharpness.
The step that matters
Let them come to a good boil. Currant jelly contains pectin, which needs to dissolve fully in hot liquid. Bringing the mixture to a proper boil melts the jelly evenly into a smooth sauce and avoids lumps and a flat, uneven taste.
Swap the currant
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, mace, tea, pepper):
- Lemonfits better
- Figfits better
- Grapefits better
- Currantthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, mace, tea, pepper. 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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