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 ↓
Clam Chowder
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the clams
Scrub the clams in their shells until clean.
Place the clams in a pan with 1 cup of water and cook until the shells open.
Remove the clams from their shells.
Cut off the necks with scissors and chop them finely, leaving the soft part whole.
Save the clam broth.
Prepare the potatoes and pork
Peel the potatoes.
Slice the potatoes thinly.
Soak the potatoes in cold water for 1 hour.
Cut the salt pork into small pieces.
Fry the salt pork in a pan.
Add the chopped onion.
Cook the onion until lightly browned.
Make and serve the chowder
In a kettle, add the sliced potatoes.
Strain the pork fat into the kettle.
Add enough boiling water to cover the potatoes.
Cook the potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the clam broth and an equal amount of water.
Stir in the salt, pepper, and clams.
Add the hot milk and butter.
Place the crackers in a tureen.
Pour the chowder over the crackers.
Serve very hot.
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.
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).
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Potato + porktop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,668 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Clam + porktop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together305 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, melon).
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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
- Clams
- Provide the main seafood flavor and the chowder's body.
- Potatoes
- Release starch as they cook, thickening the chowder and giving it body.
- Salt pork
- Its rendered fat carries savory flavor through the chowder.
- Onion
- Browning in the pork fat builds a sweeter, deeper savory flavor.
- Milk
- Adds creaminess and a smooth, rich texture to the broth.
- Crackers
- Soak up the chowder, adding texture and body when served.
The step that matters
Cook the clams only until the shells open. Clam meat turns tough and rubbery when overcooked. Removing them as soon as the shells open keeps them tender in the finished chowder.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (clam, potato, pork, butter, milk, pepper):
- Capsicumfits better
- Onionthe original
- Tomatofits about as well
- Asparagusfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against clam, potato, pork, butter, milk, 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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