Why it works: Veal and ham are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,264 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Veal Gravy
Ingredients
Directions
In a stewpan, add the veal and ham.
Cook over medium heat until the meat is browned.
Add water, but wait until the meat sticks slightly to the pan before pouring it in.
Simmer until the gravy reaches the desired flavor and thickness.
Strain the gravy through a fine cloth or tamis before serving.
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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Veal + hamtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,264 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Veal leg
- Provides the main meat flavor and body once browned and simmered into the gravy.
- Ham
- Adds savory, salty depth to the gravy as it cooks down with the meat.
The step that matters
Wait for the meat to stick before adding water. Browning builds flavorful deposits on the pan. Adding water only once the meat sticks slightly lets you loosen those browned bits, which gives the gravy its color and depth. Adding water too early means the meat steams rather than browns.
“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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