Why it works: Oyster and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,103 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Forcemeat for Baked Pike
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Beard and mince the oysters.
Prepare and mix the other ingredients by recipe No. 416.
Make the forcemeat
Blend the whole thoroughly together.
Moisten with the cream and eggs.
Put all into a stewpan.
Stir it over the fire until it thickens.
Stuff and close
Put it into the fish, which should have previously been cut open.
Sew it up.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Oyster | 6 medium (84g) | 81 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Mace | 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.
-
Oyster + eggtop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,103 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Pepper + macetop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together12,257 recipes
Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
-
Cream + oystertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,886 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
-
Cream + macetop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,009 recipes
-
Oyster + peppertop 22% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together7,663 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Pepper and mace barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 12,257 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
- Eggs
- Bind the forcemeat and set it firm when heated, giving it structure.
- Cream
- Adds moisture and richness, keeping the forcemeat soft and smooth.
- Oysters
- Contribute moisture and a briny, savoury flavour to the forcemeat.
- Anchovies
- Add a salty, savoury depth of flavour to the forcemeat.
The step that matters
Stir it over the fire until it thickens. Heating the egg and cream mixture gently while stirring lets the eggs set into a smooth, thick forcemeat. Overheating or leaving it unstirred can curdle the eggs, leaving a grainy texture.
Swap the mace
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cream, oyster, egg, pepper):
- Nutmegfits better
- Parsleyfits better
- Tarragonfits better
- Macethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against cream, oyster, egg, pepper. 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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