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 ↓
Bisque of Pickerel
Ingredients
Directions
Make the broth
Put a bunch of soup herbs and a collection of sliced soup vegetables (omitting tomatoes) with a few whole spices in a saucepan with 3 quarts cold water, adding 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Boil 45 minutes.
Cut a fresh pickerel of 2 pounds into small pieces and add to the broth. Cover and boil 20 minutes.
Make the bisque
Rub 2 1/2 ounces flour with 1 1/2 ounces butter in a hot saucepan, strain the broth into it, add a little nutmeg, boil 5 minutes.
Beat 1 egg yolk in 1 cup cream, and add with 1 tablespoon butter; stir for 5 minutes without boiling.
Strain and serve with croutons.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| 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 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| Soup | 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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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).
-
Egg + nutmegtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together24,744 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Cream + peppertop 23% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together21,449 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Egg + creamtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together42,166 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Egg and nutmeg 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
- Flour (in the method)
- Thickens the broth into a smooth, body-rich bisque as it cooks with the butter.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds richness and fat, carrying flavor and giving a silky mouthfeel.
- Egg yolk
- Enriches and thickens the cream finish, giving a smooth, velvety texture when not boiled.
- Cream
- Adds fat and richness, softening the flavor and smoothing the final texture.
- Pickerel (in the method)
- Provides the main fish flavor and tender flesh that gives the bisque its character.
The step that matters
Adding the egg yolk and cream without boiling. Egg yolks can curdle or turn grainy if they get too hot. Stirring gently over low heat without boiling keeps the yolk-cream mixture smooth and thickening evenly.
“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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