Why it works: Potato and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Stuffed Peppers
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the peppers
Cut the top off the pepper, remove the seed and white membrane with a sharp knife.
Soak the peppers overnight in salt water.
Fill and bake
Prepare the filling: combine two cupfuls minced veal (or beef, ham, or a combination), one cup mashed potatoes or rice, season with salt and butter, and bind together with cream or rich stock.
Fill the peppers with the mixture and place them in a baking dish with enough hot water to prevent burning.
Cover closely and bake for thirty minutes.
Serve with sauce
Transfer to a hot dish and serve with sauce: combine two cups stock, one onion, a little minced parsley, one cup tomatoes, salt, and two tablespoons butter creamed with two tablespoons flour; cook gently until smooth.
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 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Veal | 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.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
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.
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Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + tomatotop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,798 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,305 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
- Veal
- Forms the savoury, firm body of the filling once cooked.
- Mashed potatoes
- Adds bulk and moisture, helping the filling stay soft and cohesive.
- Butter
- Adds richness and flavour to the filling and to the sauce.
- Flour
- Thickens the sauce, giving it a smooth, body-rich texture.
- Tomatoes
- Contributes acidity and fruity flavour to the sauce.
- Stock
- Provides liquid and savoury depth to both the filling and the sauce.
The step that matters
Covering and baking in hot water. Baking the peppers covered in a dish with hot water keeps the walls gently steamed so they soften evenly without scorching. Too little water or uncovered baking risks burnt edges and dry filling.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (veal, potato, butter, pepper, onion, flour):
- Chivefits better
- Leekfits better
- Carrotfits better
- Tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against veal, potato, butter, pepper, onion, flour. 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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