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 the meat in a pan with the kidney uppermost.
Season and add liquids
Sprinkle some pepper and salt.
Add a few cloves of garlic.
Add a pint of water.
Add a dozen large ripe tomatoes with the skins taken off.
Bake and finish
Bake it but do not let it be burnt.
Thicken the gravy with a little butter and brown 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.
-
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)
- Forms the main meat, which becomes tender as it bakes slowly in liquid.
- Tomatoes (in the method)
- Add acidity and moisture, giving the pan juices body and a fresh, tangy flavour.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds fat and richness to the gravy, carrying flavour and giving it a smooth mouthfeel.
- Brown flour (in the method)
- Thickens the gravy as it cooks, and its browning adds a toasted, nutty flavour.
The step that matters
Bake it but do not let it be burnt.. Sugars and proteins on the meat and in the pan brown quickly, then scorch at high heat. Burnt surfaces turn bitter and dry out, and the gravy can reduce too far or stick to the pan.
“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.
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.