Why it works: Mutton and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,442 recipes. Both carry trans-2-nonenal, which smells cardboard, fatty. The science ↓
Mutton Croquettes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the filling
Cook the mutton until tender, then chop finely.
Mix the chopped mutton with breadcrumbs, beaten eggs, salt, and pepper.
Form and fry
Form the mixture into small croquettes.
Fry the croquettes in butter until golden brown.
Serve
Serve hot.
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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Mutton + peppertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together5,442 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Mutton + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,781 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Pepper + buttertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together85,593 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Mutton + eggtop 26% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,648 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mutton
- Provides the main meaty filling that gives the croquettes their flavour and bulk.
- Breadcrumbs
- Absorb moisture and give the mixture body so it holds its shape when formed.
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture together so the croquettes hold their shape while cooking.
- Butter
- Conducts heat for frying and encourages browning and a rich flavour on the outside.
The step that matters
Fry the croquettes in butter until golden brown. Frying over steady heat browns the outside and sets the binder, while a hot pan that is too fierce can scorch the butter and leave the centre cold.
“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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