Why it works: Onion and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 20,633 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Vegetable Pie
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Gather 1/2 lb potatoes peeled and cut, 1/2 Spanish onion chopped, 1 tomato, 1/2 oz butter, pepper, salt, and crust paste.
Stew the potatoes and onion in a little water until tender.
Make the filling
Cut the tomato and mix it into the stew, season, and add the butter.
Assemble and bake
Place the vegetables in a small pie dish.
Cover with crust paste.
Bake for 1/2 hour or until golden brown.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
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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Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 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
- Potatoes (in the method)
- Form the bulk of the filling and soften into a tender, spoonable body.
- Onion
- Adds savoury sweetness and aroma as it softens in the stew.
- Tomato
- Adds moisture and a mild acidity that brightens the filling.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds fat and richness to the filling.
- Crust paste (in the method)
- Forms the top crust that seals the filling and browns in the oven.
The step that matters
Stewing the potatoes and onion until tender. Potatoes that are not fully tender stay firm and starchy inside the pie, while the top browns before the filling is cooked through. Stewing in a little water softens the starch and onion so the filling is ready when the crust is golden.
“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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