Why it works: Clove and mutton are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 27% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,152 recipes. Both carry ethyl caproate, which smells fruity, apple peel. The science ↓
Baked Leg of Mutton
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point.
Prepare
Boil the garlic cloves in three different waters to remove the strong flavor.
Mince the boiled garlic cloves finely with the anchovies.
Cut numerous slits across the skin of the leg of mutton.
Rub the garlic and anchovy mixture into the slits.
Bake and serve
Cover the leg of mutton thickly with breadcrumbs.
Place the leg in a baking pan with the clear stock.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 1.5 to 2 hours.
Baste occasionally with the sauce.
Serve the joint on a dish surrounded by mixed vegetables or macaroni.
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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Clove + muttontop 27% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,152 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Garlic
- Adds aromatic flavor that is mellowed by boiling in several waters first.
- Anchovies
- Adds savory depth and saltiness that blends into the meat.
- Leg of mutton
- The main joint whose meat becomes tender and juicy during slow baking.
- Breadcrumbs
- Form a crust on the outside of the joint as it bakes.
- Clear stock
- Provides moisture in the pan and forms the basting sauce.
The step that matters
Boiling the garlic in several waters. Boiling garlic in fresh water several times draws out its sharp, pungent compounds, so the garlic flavors the meat gently rather than overpowering it.
“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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