Why it works: Clove and mace are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,400 recipes. Both carry methyleugenol, which smells clove, spice. The science ↓
To Dry Mushrooms
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a cool oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the mushrooms
Wipe mushrooms clean and remove the brown part.
Peel off the skin.
Lay the mushrooms on sheets of paper.
Dry the mushrooms in a cool oven at 300°F (150°C) until shriveled.
Store dried mushrooms in paper bags hung in a dry place.
Make the mushroom seasoning
Wipe mushrooms free from grit.
Peel mushrooms.
Discard any worm-eaten ones.
In a saucepan, combine half a peck of large mushrooms, sliced onions, cloves, powdered mace, and white pepper without water.
Shake over a clear fire until the liquid dries up, being careful not to burn.
Arrange dried mushrooms on tins.
Dry in a slow oven at 300°F (150°C).
Pound mushrooms finely.
Store in small, dry bottles, sealing them tightly.
Use
Add dried mushrooms to cold gravy or rich stock.
Heat over low fire until simmering.
Add mushroom powder to gravies or sauces just before serving.
Allow to boil once.
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 + macetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together8,400 recipes
Shared aroma: methyleugenol (clove, spice).
-
Mace + white peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,695 recipes
Shared aroma: myrcene (balsamic, herbaceous).
-
Mushroom + oniontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,626 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Mushroom + clovetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,663 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
-
Onion + clovetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together16,901 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonanone (fruity, floral).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mushrooms
- Provide the main earthy flavor and body as they dry and concentrate.
- Onions
- Add sweetness and savory depth to the seasoning as they cook down.
- Cloves
- Contribute warm, aromatic spice notes to the mushroom seasoning.
- Powdered mace
- Adds a warm, aromatic spiced flavor to the seasoning.
- White pepper
- Adds sharp, mild heat and aroma to the seasoning.
The step that matters
Shake over a clear fire until the liquid dries up. Mushrooms release water that must evaporate fully before drying. Too much heat can scorch the sugars and proteins, leaving a bitter, burnt taste that spoils the seasoning.
Swap the white pepper
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (mushroom, onion, clove, mace):
- Thymefits better
- Allspicefits better
- Nutmegfits better
- White pepperthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against mushroom, onion, clove, mace. 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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