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A curry of scallops cooked in fish broth with ginger, turmeric, and spices.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
By Kenney-Herbert, A. R. (Arthur Robert), 1840-1916 · From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 42 ingredients
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Why it works: Turmeric and rice are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,941 recipes. Both carry guaiacol, which smells smoky, sweet. The science ↓

Menu I

Ingredients

Directions

Make the broth

  1. Make a pint of fish broth as explained for the whiting creams (Menu ii.), using milk or milk and water.

  2. Have the broth ready in a bowl.

Cook the onion and spice paste

  1. Put into an earthenware casserole or stewpan an ounce and a half of butter; melt over a low fire.

  2. Add four ounces of finely minced onion; fry gently until the onion is soft but not coloured.

  3. Mix a paste with milk in a soup plate while onions are cooking; add one tablespoon of creme de riz, one teaspoon of turmeric powder, half a teaspoon of powdered cinnamon, and a saltspoonful of salt to the paste.

  4. Fry the paste with the butter and onions for five minutes.

Simmer and strain

  1. Moisten with the broth, add a tablespoon of ground sweet almonds with two of desiccated coconut, and a tablespoon of pounded green ginger.

  2. Bring to the boil, then simmer for half an hour.

  3. Empty the contents of the stewpan onto a large hair sieve, pass the liquid through it, catching all pieces of ginger, etc., and return it to the casserole.

Add the scallops and serve

  1. Bring nearly to the boil, then add the scallops, reduce heat to simmering, and cook for twenty minutes until fish is tender.

  2. Take the pan from the fire, stir in the juice of half a lemon and a tablespoon of cream.

  3. Serve the curry in a French earthenware casserole with a napkin or frilled paper pinned round it, accompanied by a dish of well-boiled rice.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1371Calories
101 gProtein
62 gFat
99 gCarbs

Counts 18 of 20 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 18 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Pork100g cooked242
Salmon100g cooked208
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Shrimp100g cooked99
Eggs1 large egg (50g)78
Pea1/2 cup (72g)62
Cream1 tbsp (15ml) heavy51
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bacon1 slice cooked (8g)43
Mushroom1/2 cup sliced (35g)15
Turmeric1 tsp ground (3g)9
Celery1 stalk (40g)6
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Waternot in our table0
Macenot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

By Kenney-Herbert, A. R. (Arthur Robert), 1840-1916. 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. Turmeric + ricetop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together1,941 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

  2. Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together81,283 recipes

    Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).

  3. Mushroom + buttertop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together12,525 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).

  4. Rice + milktop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together7,374 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

  5. Onion + turmerictop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together6,913 recipes

    Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Scallops
Form the main protein, becoming tender and mild as they simmer in the sauce.
Onion
Softens and sweetens as it fries gently, forming the base flavour of the curry.
Creme de riz
Thickens the sauce as it cooks with the broth and milk.
Turmeric
Gives the curry its yellow colour and warm, earthy aroma.
Cream
Adds richness and a smooth, velvety texture when stirred in at the end.
Lemon juice (in the method)
Adds brightness that balances the richness of the butter, cream and fish.

The step that matters

Simmer the scallops gently. Once the scallops go in, the liquid should only simmer. Strong boiling toughens scallop proteins and makes them rubbery, while gentle heat lets them cook evenly and stay tender.

Swap the turmeric

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, rice, milk, mushroom, butter, ham, fish):

  1. Thymefits better
  2. Garlicfits about as well
  3. Celeryfits about as well
  4. Turmericthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against onion, rice, milk, mushroom, butter, ham, fish. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“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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