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Lithuanian Kugel I

A baked potato and bacon casserole from Lithuania.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 9 ingredients
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Why it works: Lemon and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,047 recipes. Both carry trans-2-nonenal, which smells cardboard, fatty. The science ↓

Lithuanian Kugel I

Oven425 degrees, then 325 degrees
Time1/2 hour at each temperature

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Grate 6 Russet potatoes.

  2. Put in salted or lemon juice water.

  3. Drain water.

Bake

  1. Stir all together and pour into a 10 x 14 inch pan and bake at 425 degrees for 1/2 hour.

  2. Then bake at 325 degrees for 1/2 hour.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

595Calories
24 gProtein
29 gFat
65 gCarbs

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
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Potato1 medium (173g) baked161
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bacon1 slice cooked (8g)43
Lemonjuice of 1 lemon (48ml)12
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Waternot in our table0

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

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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.

  1. Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together27,047 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).

  2. Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together9,023 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  3. Potato + peppertop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together8,305 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  4. Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together68,474 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  5. Potato + lemontop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,230 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

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

What each ingredient does

Potatoes
Form the bulk and starch that sets into a sliceable, tender body as it bakes.
Eggs
Bind the grated potato together and help the kugel set firm when baked.
Evaporated milk
Adds moisture and richness, keeping the interior creamy rather than dry.
Bacon
Its fat and savory flavor carry into the potatoes and brown the top.
Butter
Adds fat and richness, and helps the surface brown in the oven.
Onion
Contributes aroma and a mild sweetness as it bakes into the potatoes.

The step that matters

Drain the grated potatoes well. Grated potato releases starch-rich liquid. Excess water left in the mixture thins the batter and keeps the kugel from setting, so draining it well helps the custard-like base firm up in the oven.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, lemon, evaporated milk, egg, butter, pepper):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Chivefits better
  3. Spinachfits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against potato, lemon, evaporated milk, egg, 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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