Name: Timbale of Raviolis, a LA Romaine
Ingredients: 12 raviolis; 4 ounces truffles, cut into scallops; 4 ounces red tongue, cut into scallops; 20 mushrooms, sliced; ⅓ cup Madeira wine; 1 ounce game glaze; 2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese; 1 large tablespoon reduced Espagnole sauce

Why it works: Truffle and mushroom are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,900 recipes. Both carry 2,4-nonadienal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓

Timbale of Raviolis, a LA Romaine

Ingredients

12 raviolis
4 ounces truffles, cut into scallops
4 ounces red tongue, cut into scallops
20 mushrooms, sliced
⅓ cup Madeira wine
1 ounce game glaze
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1 large tablespoon reduced Espagnole sauce

Directions

Prepare the ravioli

Boil the raviolis in consomme.
Drain the raviolis on a sieve.

Make the filling

Combine the truffles, red tongue, and mushrooms in a stewpan.
Add the Madeira wine and game glaze to the stewpan.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Stir in the reduced Espagnole sauce until hot.

Assemble and serve

Garnish the timbale case.
Turn the timbale out onto a dish.
Glaze the timbale.
Pour a little brown sauce around the base before serving.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

Truffle + mushroomtop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,900 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
Mushroom + parmesan cheesetop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,199 recipes

Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).
Scallop + saucetop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together130 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Truffle + parmesan cheesetop 12% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together140 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).
Truffle + madeira winetop 13% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together195 recipes

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Raviolis: Form the pasta structure and bulk of the timbale.
Truffles: Add a concentrated, earthy aroma that flavours the filling.
Mushrooms: Add moisture and savoury, umami depth to the filling.
Madeira wine: Adds sweetness and acidity, and deepens flavour as it reduces.
Parmesan cheese: Adds salty, savoury flavour and helps bind the filling.
Reduced espagnole sauce: Adds body, richness and a savoury brown-sauce flavour.

The step that matters

Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Boiling reduces the liquid and concentrates the Madeira and glaze flavours. Stirring in the cheese and sauce afterward keeps the filling thick enough to hold its shape when the timbale is turned out.

“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.

Cheese Scallop19 recipes

Macaroni and Cheese102 recipes

Mushroom Soup60 recipes

Cheese Making50 recipes

Like knowing why a recipe works?

The 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.

Timbale of Raviolis, a LA Romaine