Why it works: Pepper and spinach are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,400 recipes. Both carry nonanal, which smells fat, citrus. The science ↓
Kentumere
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oil in a large skillet or heavy pot, then sauté onions and pepper together.
Mash or grind the tomatoes and stir them in, along with the remaining ingredients. Cook at a moderate temperature for 15 minutes, or until fish is tender and flaky.
If there is too much oil on the surface for your liking, skim some off with a spoon.
Serve kentumere with cooked plaintain or rice.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Spinach | 1 cup raw (30g) | 7 |
| Herring | 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.
-
Pepper + spinachtop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,400 recipes
Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).
-
Tomato + spinachtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,350 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
-
Pepper + tomatotop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + spinachtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,336 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Palm oil
- Carries the flavour and gives the stew its fat and rich mouthfeel.
- Onions
- Soften as they cook, adding sweetness and a savoury base to the stew.
- Tomatoes
- Break down into the sauce, adding moisture, body and gentle acidity.
- Kippered herring
- Supplies the smoky, salty fish flavour and flakes into the stew as it cooks.
- Fresh spinach
- Wilts into the sauce, adding leafy texture and a mild earthy note.
The step that matters
Cook until the fish is tender and flaky. Cooking at a moderate heat for the stated time lets the herring soften and flake gently into the sauce. Too much heat can toughen the fish and make the stew dry or uneven.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, tomato, spinach):
- Capsicumfits better
- Okrafits better
- Eggplantfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, tomato, spinach. 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
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Cream of Tomato Soup107 recipes
Tomato Bisque61 recipes
Spinach Soup50 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.