Why it works: Onion and bread are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,676 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Vegetarian Roast
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Brown some crusts of bread in the oven, shell peanuts and put them through the mincer, putting the bread through the mincer afterwards.
Combine bread, peanuts, milk, seasoning, and 1 onion.
Bake
Take a cup of the bread crumbs, pour on them a little milk, just enough to moisten, but not to make them too soft.
Mix with them half a cup of ground peanuts, salt, and a little powdered herb, either sage or thyme, and one minced onion, put all into a buttered pie dish, and bake slowly until nicely browned.
If it appears to be getting too dry, a very little water may be put on top as it is cooking, or a few pieces of butter on top makes a fine improvement.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
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 + breadtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,676 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Bread crumbs
- Form the bulk of the loaf and absorb the milk to hold its shape.
- Peanuts (in the method)
- Add body and richness, giving the roast a firm, nutty texture.
- Milk (in the method)
- Moistens the bread crumbs so they bind together without turning soft.
- Onion
- Adds savory flavor and moisture as it cooks through in the dish.
The step that matters
Moistening the bread crumbs. Too much milk makes the crumbs soft and the roast will not hold together; too little leaves it dry and crumbly. Add milk only until the crumbs are just damp.
“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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