Why it works: Leek and chive share more aroma than cooks usually use. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29 recipes. Both carry 1-octen-3-ol, which smells mushroom, earthy. The science ↓
Leek, Potato and Matzo Gratin
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Add leeks to skillet and sauté in a little water, cover until wilted.
Add red pepper and sauté for 5 minutes.
Combine matzos with water in a bowl, soak 3-5 minutes until soft. Drain and squeeze out excess water.
Assemble and bake
Combine leek mixture and matzos with remaining ingredients, except chives. Stir until fully mixed.
Pour into a lightly sprayed shallow 2‑quart casserole.
Sprinkle chives over top.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top is golden.
Serve
Let stand 5 to 10 minutes and cut.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Soy Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Chives | 1 tbsp (3g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
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.
-
Leek + chivetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
-
Chive + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,149 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Potato + chivetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together611 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Potato + garlictop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,517 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Leek + garlictop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together150 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Leeks
- Soften into a sweet, savory base that adds moisture and flavor to the gratin.
- Potatoes
- Provide starch and body, setting the gratin into a sliceable structure as it bakes.
- Matzos
- Soak up liquid and bind the mixture, giving it a soft, custard-like texture.
- Soy milk
- Adds liquid and creaminess that moistens the matzo and potato layers as they bake.
- Mushrooms
- Release moisture and savory flavor, adding depth to the filling.
The step that matters
Squeeze out the soaked matzos. Matzos soak up a lot of water and turn soft. Leftover liquid would make the gratin watery and keep it from setting, so excess water should be squeezed out before mixing.
Swap the leek
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, milk, mushroom, potato, chive, garlic):
- Spinachfits better
- Shallotfits about as well
- Onionfits about as well
- Leekthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, milk, mushroom, potato, chive, garlic. 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.
You might also like
Potato Croquettes255 recipes
Potato Rolls78 recipes
Mushroom Soup60 recipes
Potato Chips53 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.