Why it works: Tomato and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 22% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,918 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓
Broiled Tomatoes
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the tomatoes in half.
Season with salt.
Place on a broiler, skin side up.
Broil for about 20 minutes or until tender.
Serve on a hot plate with melted butter.
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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Tomato + buttertop 22% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,918 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tomatoes
- Provide the main body and juice that soften and concentrate under the broiler.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat that carries flavour and gives a glossy finish when served.
The step that matters
Broil until tender. Tomatoes can stay watery or turn mushy if the heat or timing is off. Broiling until just tender lets surface moisture evaporate and concentrates flavour without collapsing the flesh.
“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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