Why it works: Flour and nutmeg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 18,623 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Cream Fritters
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
In a large bowl, mix the flour and milk until smooth.
Beat the eggs in a separate bowl until frothy, then stir them into the batter.
Add the grated nutmeg, heavy cream, and salt, and mix until well combined.
Fry and drain
Heat oil in a frying pan and drop spoonfuls of the batter into the hot oil.
Fry until golden brown on both sides, then remove and drain on paper towels.
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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Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,623 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Nutmeg + creamtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,920 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
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Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Milk + nutmegtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,685 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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
- All-purpose flour
- Provides the main structure of the batter as it sets in the hot oil.
- Eggs
- Add structure and richness, helping the fritters hold together and set.
- Heavy cream
- Adds fat and richness, giving the fritters a tender, moist interior.
- Milk
- Hydrates the flour so the batter forms a smooth, pourable base.
The step that matters
Frying the spoonfuls in hot oil. The oil must be hot enough so the batter sets and browns quickly on the outside. If the oil is too cool, the fritters absorb excess oil and turn greasy and heavy before they cook through.
“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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