Why it works: Butter and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Broiled Oysters
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Drain and select oysters in a colander.
Dip each oyster into melted butter to prevent sticking to the gridiron.
Broil and serve
Place the oysters on a wire gridiron and broil over a clear fire.
When nicely browned on both sides, season with salt and pepper and plenty of butter.
Lay the oysters on buttered toast moistened with a little hot water.
Serve very hot.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 5 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 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.
-
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Mace + peppertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together12,257 recipes
Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
-
Cream + macetop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,009 recipes
-
Butter + peppertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together85,593 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Butter + macetop 22% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together11,405 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
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
- Oysters (in the method)
- Form the main body of the dish and cook to a tender, juicy texture when broiled.
- Butter
- Coats the oysters to prevent sticking and adds richness and browning on the gridiron.
The step that matters
Broiling until nicely browned on both sides. Oysters cook quickly and turn firm and rubbery if overcooked. Browning needs direct, hot heat, so watch them closely and turn them once they colour, so they stay tender and juicy.
Swap the mace
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, cream, pepper):
- Nutmegfits better
- Parsleyfits better
- Tarragonfits better
- Macethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, cream, 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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