Why it works: Anchovy and sauce are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and 2,057 recipes mention both. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Scotch Woodcock
Ingredients
Directions
Make the sauce
In a bowl, rub together the butter and flour.
Slowly pour in the milk while stirring.
Add the anchovy sauce and cayenne, mixing well.
Finish and serve
Stir in the chopped eggs and simmer for 3 minutes.
Serve the mixture on toast.
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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Anchovy + saucetop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together2,057 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Egg + anchovytop 12% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together2,330 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Butter + anchovytop 13% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together3,697 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Butter and flour share little aroma chemistry, yet 124,287 recipes mention both: they likely 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
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Provide the main body of the filling, adding richness and a soft, creamy texture.
- Butter
- Enriches the sauce and carries flavour, giving it a smooth, rich mouthfeel.
- Flour
- Thickens the butter and milk into a smooth sauce that holds the eggs together.
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base of the sauce, which thickens as it heats.
- Anchovy sauce
- Adds a salty, savoury depth that gives the dish its distinctive flavour.
The step that matters
Stirring in the milk slowly. Pouring the milk in gradually while stirring keeps the flour evenly dispersed, so the sauce becomes smooth instead of lumpy.
“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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