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Oysters a LA Thorndike

Oysters à la Thorndike is a buttery oyster dish with cream, cajun seasoning, nutmeg, eggs, and toast.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
By Warren, Pa. Presbyterian church. Second auxiliary missionary society. [from old catalog] · From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 6 ingredients
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Why it works: Cream and nutmeg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 13% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 7,920 recipes. Both carry acetic acid, which smells sour, vinegar. The science ↓

Oysters a LA Thorndike

Ingredients

Directions

Cook the oysters

  1. Drain a portion of oysters and add them to 2 tablespoons of melted butter.

  2. Cook in this until they grow plump.

  3. Add a teaspoon of salt.

  4. Add a dash of cajun and nutmeg.

  5. Add 4 tablespoons of cream and the well-beaten yolks of 2 eggs.

Serve

  1. Serve on squares of toast.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

141Calories
7 gProtein
12 gFat
2 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Cream1 tbsp (15ml) heavy51
Nutmeg1 tsp ground (2.2g)12
Salt1 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.

By Warren, Pa. Presbyterian church. Second auxiliary missionary society. [from old catalog]. Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

  1. Cream + nutmegtop 13% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together7,920 recipes

    Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

  2. Egg + nutmegtop 17% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together24,744 recipes

    Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

  3. Cream + eggtop 24% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked 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

Oysters (in the method)
Provide the main ingredient, which plumps and firms briefly when cooked in hot butter.
Eggs
Egg yolks thicken the cream and butter mixture into a smooth, lightly set sauce.
Cream
Adds richness and moisture, softening the sauce and balancing the seasoning.
Butter (in the method)
Cooks the oysters gently and adds fat for richness and flavor.

The step that matters

Adding the egg yolks and cream. Egg yolks thicken when heated gently. If the mixture gets too hot or boils after the yolks go in, they can scramble and turn grainy, so keep the heat low and stir constantly.

“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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