Why it works: Butter and clove are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 23% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,045 recipes. Both carry ethyl octanoate, which smells fruity, wine. The science ↓
Scalloped Mackerel with Tomato
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the fish
Soak the mackerel in water until covered, laying the fish flesh-side down on a rack in the pan for 18 to 24 hours, according to taste.
Break the mackerel into bits, carefully removing bones and skin.
Make the tomato sauce
Cook tomatoes, bay leaf, mace, onion, and cloves for 20 minutes.
Add soda and strain the mixture.
Cook the cornstarch and butter, gradually add the strained tomato pulp, and cook until it thickens.
Assemble and bake
Layer breadcrumbs in a well-buttered baking dish, then add a thin layer of fish; continue layering until the fish is used up.
Pour the tomato mixture over the layered fish and breadcrumbs.
Top with a layer of crumbs and bits of butter, then bake.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Bay Leaf | 1 leaf (0.6g) | 2 |
| Mackerel | 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 + clovetop 23% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,045 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mackerel
- Forms the main body of the dish as the layered fish filling.
- Cornstarch
- Thickens the strained tomato pulp into a smooth sauce as it cooks.
- Butter
- Adds richness and moisture, and helps the crumb topping brown in the oven.
- Tomatoes (in the method)
- Provide the sauce's body, moisture and acidity that coat the layers.
The step that matters
Cooking the cornstarch and butter before adding the tomato pulp. Cornstarch only thickens fully when heated in liquid until the mixture bubbles; adding the pulp gradually and cooking it through prevents lumps and a thin, watery sauce.
“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
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 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.