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 ↓
French Stewed Oysters
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the oysters
Set fifty large oysters over the fire in their liquor, skimming well.
When they begin to simmer, take them out with a perforated ladle and throw into cold water to plump them.
When cold, place them in wine, then drain them.
Make the stew and serve
Add to the liquor one-half pound of butter, divided into four pieces, each well rolled in flour, one-half dozen blades of mace, one half nutmeg grated, one salt-spoon cayenne pepper.
Stir until the butter is melted and well mixed.
Then put in the oysters.
As soon as they come to a boil, take off and stir in the yolks of three eggs well beaten.
Serve hot.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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).
-
Butter + nutmegtop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together24,377 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Nutmeg + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together24,744 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Butter + macetop 22% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together11,405 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
Nutmeg and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 24,744 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
- Oysters (in the method)
- Are the main component, cooked gently in their own liquor until plump and tender.
- Butter
- Melts into the liquor to enrich the stew and give it a rich, smooth body.
- Eggs
- Yolks are stirred in off the heat to thicken and enrich the liquor into a silky sauce.
The step that matters
Stirring in the egg yolks. Egg yolks thicken when gently heated but can curdle if they boil. Removing the pan from the heat as soon as the oysters reach a boil keeps the sauce smooth.
Swap the mace
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, nutmeg, egg):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Parsleyfits better
- Allspicefits better
- Macethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, nutmeg, egg. 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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