Why it works: Pepper and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 34,122 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Rustic Chicken Stew
Ingredients
Directions
Stew the chicken
Cut the deboned meat into pieces and stew in oil and some water together with the onion rings.
Add the flour and paprika, as well as some water.
Finish the stew
Bring to the boil and add the peppers and tomatoes, cut into large pieces, and salt.
Simmer on a low fire.
Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley when ready.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Sunflower Oil | 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 + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Sunflower + parsleytop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together256 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Pepper + tomatotop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + parsleytop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,398 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Chicken
- Main protein that becomes tender and flavours the broth as it stews.
- Onions
- Soften and turn sweet as they cook, adding depth to the stew base.
- Flour
- Thickens the cooking liquid so the stew becomes a rich, cohesive sauce.
- Paprika
- Adds warm, sweet flavour and a deep red colour to the stew.
- Peppers
- Add mild sweetness and softness as they simmer into the sauce.
- Tomatoes
- Add acidity, moisture and body to the sauce as they break down.
The step that matters
Adding the flour and paprika with water. Flour dispersed in liquid thickens evenly. Adding it lumpy or without enough stirring can leave clumps that stay in the sauce, so stir it in well before bringing the stew to the boil.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chicken, pepper, tomato, flour, sunflower, parsley):
- Capsicumfits better
- Carrotfits better
- Spinachfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against chicken, pepper, tomato, flour, sunflower, parsley. 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
Chicken Broth257 recipes
Chicken Soup156 recipes
Cream of Tomato Soup107 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.