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 Romaene
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the filling
Boil the raviolis in consomme and drain them on a sieve.
In a stewpan, combine truffles, red tongue, and mushrooms.
Add Madeira and game glaze, then boil quickly over high heat until the wine is absorbed.
Stir in Parmesan cheese and reduced Espagnole sauce until hot.
Assemble and serve
Garnish the timbale case.
Turn the timbale out onto a dish.
Glaze the timbale.
Pour brown sauce around the base 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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Truffle + mushroomtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,900 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
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Mushroom + parmesan cheesetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,199 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).
-
Scallop + saucetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together130 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Truffle + parmesan cheesetop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together140 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).
-
Scallop + mushroomtop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together64 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine (cocoa, roasted).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Raviolis
- Form the bulk of the timbale and hold the filling together in layers.
- Truffles
- Add a concentrated earthy aroma that gives the filling its luxurious character.
- Red tongue
- Adds meaty texture and savoury richness to the filling.
- Mushrooms
- Contribute moisture and umami depth that mingles with the reduced wine.
- Madeira
- Adds sweetness and acidity; boiling it off concentrates its flavour into the filling.
- Parmesan cheese
- Adds salty, savoury depth and helps bind the filling as it heats.
The step that matters
Boil quickly over high heat until the wine is absorbed. Rapid boiling evaporates the Madeira and concentrates its flavour. If the liquid is not cooked off, the filling stays wet and can make the timbale soggy when 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.
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