Why it works: Cabbage and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,081 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Red Cabbage
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut a small head of red cabbage into slaw pieces.
Prepare a dressing by mixing one good sized onion, a large tablespoon of bacon drippings, one cup of water, and one-half cup of vinegar.
Cook
Add the cabbage to the dressing and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Cook in a fireless cooker overnight, or for five hours; or on gas over a slow flame for about two hours.
Before serving, thicken with a level tablespoon of browned flour.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Broccoli | 1 cup chopped (156g) | 55 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| 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.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Cabbage + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,081 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Cabbage + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,001 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Vinegar + cabbagetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,924 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Vinegar + oniontop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,226 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Red cabbage
- Forms the bulk of the slaw and becomes tender during slow cooking.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that gives the dish its tangy flavour and helps keep the red colour.
- Onion
- Contributes savoury, sweet depth to the dressing as it softens.
- Browned flour (in the method)
- Thickens the cooking liquid into a light sauce as it is added near the end.
The step that matters
Thickening with browned flour. Flour needs to be stirred in smoothly, and the liquid should be hot when it goes in, or it can form lumps. Cooking flour thoroughly lets its starch swell evenly and thicken the dressing without a raw taste.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, cabbage, pepper):
- Mustardfits better
- Radishfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, cabbage, 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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