Why it works: Mace and nutmeg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,557 recipes. Both carry myristicin, which smells spice, warm. The science ↓
Mutton Sausage
Ingredients
Directions
Make the mixture
In a bowl, combine the chopped mutton, pepper, salt, mace, nutmeg, beef suet, sweet herbs, anchovies, oysters, and bread crumbs.
Add the beaten eggs and mix well until combined.
Transfer the mixture into small jars.
Cook and serve
When ready to use, form into small cakes and fry until golden brown.
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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Mace + nutmegtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,557 recipes
Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
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Pepper + nutmegtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together13,015 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Pepper + beeftop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,971 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Mutton + beeftop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,373 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Mutton + breadtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,488 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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 cakes hold together when shaped and fried.
- Bread crumbs
- Absorb moisture and add body, giving the cakes a soft, cohesive texture.
- Beef suet
- Adds fat that keeps the cakes moist and adds richness as they fry.
- Leg of mutton
- Provides the main meaty flavor and bulk of the sausage.
- Oysters
- Contribute a savory, briny flavor that deepens the overall taste.
The step that matters
Form into small cakes and fry until golden brown. The mixture is soft and bound only by egg and crumbs, so it can fall apart if handled roughly or fried over low heat. Frying over steady heat sets the egg and browns the surface, helping the cakes hold their shape.
Swap the mace
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (mutton, pepper, nutmeg, beef, oyster, bread, egg):
- Parsleyfits better
- Marjoramfits better
- Cinnamonfits better
- Macethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against mutton, pepper, nutmeg, beef, oyster, bread, egg. 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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