Why it works: Flour and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 19% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 50,459 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Creamed Chicken
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the sauce
Boil the chickens and pick the meat from the bones as for salad.
Blend 4 large tablespoons of butter with 5 even tablespoons of flour.
Heat 1 quart of cream.
Add the hot cream to the butter and flour.
Stir until thickened.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the sauce and add it to the chicken and mushrooms.
Bake and serve
Put into a dish to bake and cover the top with bread crumbs and bits of butter.
Bake 30 minutes.
Serve in timbales, with a teaspoon of whipped cream on top when served.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| 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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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.
-
Flour + peppertop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together50,459 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Cream + flourtop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,481 recipes
Shared aroma: acetaldehyde (pungent, ethereal).
-
Cream + peppertop 23% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together21,449 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Cream and pepper barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 21,449 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
- Butter (in the method)
- Enriches the sauce and, with flour, forms the base that thickens it.
- Flour
- Thickens the butter and cream into a smooth sauce that holds the chicken together.
- Cream
- Forms the body of the sauce and adds richness and moisture.
- Chicken (in the method)
- Provides the main protein, bound into the creamy sauce.
The step that matters
Adding the hot cream to the butter and flour. Pouring hot cream onto the roux-like butter and flour mixture helps it thicken smoothly. If the cream is added too quickly or without stirring, lumps can form. Stirring until thickened ensures an even 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.
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