Why it works: Tomato and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,923 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Broiled Tomatoes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Slice the tomatoes into thick pieces.
Broil and season
Place the slices on a grill over hot coals and broil on both sides.
Remove each piece when broiled and dip in melted butter mixed with salt, pepper, and mustard.
Briefly place each piece on a hot griddle.
Serve
Serve hot, pouring the remaining seasoned butter over the tomatoes.
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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Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Pepper + mustardtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,430 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + mustardtop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,482 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Butter + peppertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together85,593 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Tomato + buttertop 22% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,918 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Good, firm, ripe tomatoes
- Form the main body of the dish, holding their shape while broiling over direct heat.
- Butter
- Carries the seasonings and adds richness and moisture to the broiled tomatoes.
- Mustard
- Adds a sharp, tangy note that contrasts with the sweetness of the tomatoes.
The step that matters
Broil on both sides over hot coals. Tomato slices need enough high heat to brown the surface quickly. Too little heat or time lets them steam and go soft and watery instead of developing light browning and concentrated flavor.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (tomato, butter, pepper):
- Capsicumfits better
- Potatofits better
- Carrotfits better
- Mustardthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against tomato, butter, 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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