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 ↓
Garnishing a LA Provencale
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the onions
Peel two solid white onions, mince them, and parboil for five minutes.
Drain the onions well.
Make the garnish
Toss the onions in an omelet pan with one tablespoonful fresh butter and cook for five minutes.
Rub the spoon with a freshly cut clove of garlic.
Add a dash of lemon juice or white wine.
Add one-half tablespoonful grated Parmesan cheese.
Add one-half cup good white sauce.
Season with salt and pepper.
Stir all well until it comes to the boil.
Set away to cool.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Parmesan Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 110 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Sauce | 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.
-
Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together27,047 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Butter + parmesan cheesetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,163 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Lemon + clovetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together8,150 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 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
- Onions
- Provide the bulk and mild sweetness of the garnish once cooked down in butter.
- Butter
- Carries the onions in the pan and adds richness and flavour.
- Parmesan cheese
- Adds savoury, salty depth and helps the garnish cling together.
- White sauce
- Supplies moisture and a creamy, binding body to the mixture.
The step that matters
Stir until it comes to the boil. The white sauce must be heated fully so it thickens smoothly and the cheese melts evenly. Stirring prevents scorching and lumps on the pan base.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, parmesan cheese, lemon, onion, sauce, pepper):
- Parsleyfits better
- Thymefits better
- Garlicfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, parmesan cheese, lemon, onion, sauce, 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.
You might also like
Lemon Sauce236 recipes
Macaroni and Cheese102 recipes
Cheese Making50 recipes
Cheese Fritters34 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.