Why it works: Pepper and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 13,015 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Steamed Chicken
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the chicken
Rub the chicken on the inside with pepper and half a teaspoonful of salt.
Place the chicken in a steamer in a kettle that will keep it as near the water as possible.
Cover and steam for an hour and a half.
When done, keep the chicken hot while the dressing is prepared.
Make the dressing
Boil one pint of gravy from the kettle without the fat.
Add cayenne pepper and half a teaspoonful of salt to the gravy.
Stir a tablespoonful of flour into a quarter of a pint of cream until smooth.
Add the flour-cream mixture to the gravy.
(Optional) Use cornstarch instead of the flour.
(Optional) Add nutmeg or celery salt.
Serve
Cut up the chicken, arrange on a platter, and serve with the dressing over it.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| 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.
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Pepper + nutmegtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together13,015 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,623 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Cream + nutmegtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,920 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Flour + peppertop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together50,459 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + creamtop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,481 recipes
Shared aroma: acetaldehyde (pungent, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Chicken (in the method)
- Steaming cooks the chicken gently, keeping the meat moist and tender.
- Flour
- Thickens the gravy into a smooth dressing as it heats.
- Cream
- Adds richness and body to the dressing.
- Gravy
- Forms the flavorful liquid base of the dressing.
The step that matters
Stirring the flour into the cream until smooth. Flour added directly to hot liquid clumps, so it should be fully blended into the cream first and then stirred into the gravy.
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, cream, pepper):
- Nutmegthe original
- Jalapenofits about as well
- Turmericfits about as well
- Tarragonfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, cream, 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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