Why it works: Pepper and lemon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,047 recipes. Both carry trans-2-nonenal, which smells cardboard, fatty. The science ↓
Widgeon, Roasted
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Rub the breast of the widgeon with the liver until it is red.
Truss the widgeon securely.
If desired, stuff with pounded liver mixed with breadcrumbs, pepper, salt, grated lemon rind, and bound with egg yolk.
Roast and serve
Place it before a clear fire and dust with flour.
Baste frequently until cooked; about 15 minutes for undercooked, or 20-25 minutes for well done.
Serve on toast and send the gravy to the table.
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.
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 + lemontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together27,047 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Flour + lemontop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,404 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Lemon + eggtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together44,316 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
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Flour + peppertop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together50,459 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 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
- Widgeon
- Is the main protein, cooked whole so the breast and legs roast together.
- Liver
- Rubbed on the breast for colour and flavour; pounded liver also forms the optional stuffing.
- Egg yolk
- Binds the optional liver and breadcrumb stuffing so it holds together when cooked.
- Breadcrumbs
- Absorb moisture and liquid in the optional stuffing, giving it body.
The step that matters
Baste frequently until cooked. Small birds dry out quickly over direct heat, and frequent basting with their own juices keeps the meat moist while it browns. Timing is short, so checking doneness matters.
“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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