Why it works: Mutton and rice are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,019 recipes. Both carry trans-2-nonenal, which smells cardboard, fatty. The science ↓
Mutton Broth
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the mutton
Wash the mutton well, trim off all fat, and chop it into large pieces.
Place the mutton pieces and knuckle bones into a stewpan.
Add 5 pints of cold water and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
Make the stock
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 4 hours, skimming often.
Strain the stock into a basin and let it cool until it forms a stiff jelly.
Remove the fat from the top with a spoon.
Dab the top of the stock with a clean cloth dipped in hot water to remove grease.
Wipe the top of the stock dry with a clean, dry cloth.
Finish the broth
Wash the Patna rice in 2 or 3 waters.
Return the stock to a stewpan and bring it to a boil.
Stir in the rice and boil for 25 minutes until the rice is tender.
Season with pepper and salt 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.
-
Mutton + ricetop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,019 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mutton neck
- Releases flavour and gelatin into the stock as it simmers, giving body to the broth.
- Mutton knuckles
- Bones add gelatin and depth, so the stock sets to a firm jelly when cooled.
- Patna rice
- Starch thickens the broth slightly and gives it a soft, substantial texture.
The step that matters
Skimming during the simmer. Scum and fat rising during a long simmer cloud the stock and can taste greasy. Skimming often keeps the broth clear and clean-flavoured.
“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.
More mutton broth recipes
You might also like
Rice Fritters84 recipes
Haricot Mutton59 recipes
Mutton Soup56 recipes
Steamed Rice48 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.