Why it works: Milk and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and 81,283 recipes mention both. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓
Croquettes of Veal and Ham
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
In a bowl, mix the shredded veal and ham. Add breadcrumbs, eggs, milk, black pepper, and salt, and mix well.
Shape the mixture into small croquettes.
Fry and serve
Heat butter and oil in a pan over medium heat.
Fry the croquettes until golden brown on all sides.
Drain on paper towels 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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Veal + hamtop 15% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together3,264 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Ham + buttertop 16% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together5,475 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
-
Ham + eggtop 17% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together4,526 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture so the croquettes hold their shape.
- Breadcrumbs
- Absorb moisture and give the croquettes body and structure.
- Milk
- Adds moisture so the filling stays soft rather than dry.
- Cooked veal
- Provides the main meaty filling and texture.
- Cooked ham
- Adds savory flavor to the filling.
The step that matters
Fry the croquettes until golden brown on all sides. The filling is already cooked, so the frying is for browning and crisping the coating. Moderate heat lets the crust brown evenly before the interior heats through, while very high heat can scorch the outside first.
“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.
You might also like
Veal Patties50 recipes
Beef, Mutton, or Veal Broth6 recipes
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipesThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.