Why it works: Pepper and clove match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,451 recipes. Both carry ethyl octanoate, which smells fruity, wine. The science ↓
Baked Lamb
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the lamb
Cut the shank bone from a hind-quarter.
Separate the joints of the loin.
Lay it in a pan with the kidney uppermost.
Sprinkle some pepper and salt.
Add a few cloves of garlic.
Bake
Add a pint of water.
Add a dozen large ripe tomatoes with the skins taken off.
Bake it but do not let it be burnt.
Finish the gravy
Thicken the gravy with a little butter.
Brown the flour.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | 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 + clovetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 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
- Lamb (in the method)
- The main protein, which releases fat and juices into the pan that flavour the gravy.
- Tomatoes (in the method)
- Add moisture and acidity, helping form a savoury liquid that cooks down around the meat.
- Water
- Provides the liquid that braises the meat and dissolves pan juices into the gravy.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds fat and richness to the gravy, giving it a smoother mouthfeel.
- Flour (in the method)
- Thickens the gravy as its starch swells in the hot liquid, and browning adds nutty flavour.
The step that matters
Bake it but do not let it be burnt.. Overbaking dries the meat and can scorch the juices stuck to the pan, making the gravy bitter. Cooking gently keeps the meat moist and the sauce tasting clean.
“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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