Name: Shoestring Onions
Yield: Serves 6.
Ingredients: 2 yellow onions, about 1 1/2 lb. total, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips; 3 cups buttermilk; 2 Tbs. kosher salt, plus more, to taste; Vegetable oil for frying; 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups medium-grind cornmeal

Why it works: Buttermilk and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,721 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓

Shoestring Onions

Serves 6.

Ingredients

2 yellow onions, about 1 1/2 lb. total, quartered and cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
3 cups buttermilk
2 Tbs. kosher salt, plus more, to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups medium-grind cornmeal

Directions

Step-by-step directions aren't available for this recipe. See the full recipe at the source →

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

767Calories

22 gProtein

23 gFat

117 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 5 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

By williamssonoma. Recipe from Open Recipes.

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.

Buttermilk + flourtop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,721 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Onion + flourtop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together32,460 recipes

Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Onion + buttermilktop 26% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together391 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (buttermilk, flour):

Chivefits better
Arrowrootfits better
Horseradishfits better
Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against buttermilk, flour. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

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