Why it works: Nutmeg and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 13,015 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Peas, Green
Ingredients
Directions
In a skillet, melt the butter and fry the onion until lightly browned.
Add the flour and diced ham, stirring for 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the peas, stock, sugar, and nutmeg.
Season with salt and pepper, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve warm.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Nutmeg + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together13,015 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,623 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Peas + oniontop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,460 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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
- Green peas
- Form the bulk of the dish and give it its main texture and flavour.
- Butter
- Adds richness and carries flavour as the onion browns.
- Flour
- Thickens the stock and ham mixture so it clings to the peas.
- Ham
- Adds savoury, salty flavour and a meaty bite.
The step that matters
Add the flour and diced ham, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Cooking the flour briefly in the fat removes its raw taste and helps it thicken the liquid smoothly. Stirring keeps it from clumping or scorching on the pan base.
Swap the peas
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (ham, butter, flour, onion, sugar, nutmeg, pepper):
- Chestnutfits better
- Almondfits better
- Pistachiofits better
- Peasthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against ham, butter, flour, onion, sugar, nutmeg, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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