Why it works: Nutmeg and lemon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,318 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Ham and Veal Patties
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the filling
Chop ham in half the amount of cold cooked veal.
Stir the chopped ham into a good, hot cream sauce.
Season the mixture with nutmeg, salt, paprika, lemon juice, and a very little lemon peel.
Cayenne pepper may be used instead of paprika, but in much smaller quantity.
Serve
Fill the patties hot or cold and serve.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| 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.
-
Nutmeg + lemontop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11,318 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Veal (in the method)
- Forms the bulk of the filling, giving the patties their main body and texture.
- Ham (in the method)
- Adds savory, salty flavor to the mild cream-based filling.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the rich cream and meat flavors.
- Nutmeg
- Adds a warm, aromatic note to the cream sauce.
The step that matters
Seasoning with lemon peel. Lemon peel carries strong aromatic oils, and only a small amount adds fragrance without making the filling bitter or overpowering the cream and meat.
“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.
You might also like
Green Corn Pudding64 recipes
Cornmeal mush12 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.