Why it works: Brandy and nutmeg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,311 recipes. Both carry linalool, which smells floral, citrus. The science ↓
Wine Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Dissolve the powdered sugar in boiling water and boil until nearly candied.
Add the butter and cornstarch mixed with cold water.
Boil for five minutes.
Stir in the beaten egg.
Just before removing from heat, add the Madeira wine, brandy, and nutmeg to taste.
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.
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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Brandy + nutmegtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,311 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
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Brandy + buttertop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,127 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
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Nutmeg + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together24,377 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Egg + nutmegtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together24,744 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Egg and nutmeg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 24,744 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
- Powdered sugar
- Provides sweetness and, boiled down, body to the sauce.
- Egg
- Thickens the sauce gently and adds richness as it sets with heat.
- Cornstarch
- Thickens the sauce by gelatinizing when boiled with liquid.
- Madeira wine
- Adds depth, acidity and a fortified wine flavor to the sauce.
- Butter
- Adds fat for smoothness and a rich mouthfeel.
The step that matters
Stir in the beaten egg. Adding egg to a hot liquid can scramble it into lumps. Stirring steadily while the sauce is at a simmer, and keeping the heat moderate, lets the egg thicken it smoothly.
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, egg, madeira wine, brandy, butter):
- Cinnamonfits about as well
- Nutmegthe original
- Clovefits less well
- Allspicefits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, egg, madeira wine, brandy, butter. 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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