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Bouillon for Twelve

A clear beef broth made by simmering beef, bones, and aromatics, then strained and seasoned.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 7 ingredients
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Why it works: Beef and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 18,971 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Bouillon for Twelve

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Cut the beef into small pieces.

  2. In a large kettle, combine beef, soup bones, and cold water.

Simmer and strain

  1. Boil for the entire day.

  2. Strain the mixture and let it sit overnight.

  3. Skim off the fat that rises to the top.

Season and serve

  1. Season with salt, pepper, and bay leaves.

  2. Just before serving, stir in the sherry wine.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

  1. Beef + peppertop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together18,971 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  2. Pepper + sherrytop 18% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,107 recipes

    Shared aroma: piperonal (bitter, coconut).

  3. Pepper + winetop 18% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together8,066 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  4. Beef + winetop 19% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,372 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-ethylphenol (must).

  5. Beef + sherrytop 21% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together871 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Round beef
Provides meat flavor and gelatin-rich collagen that gives the broth body as it cooks.
Soup bones
Release marrow, collagen and minerals during long simmering, adding depth and richness to the broth.
Bay leaves
Add a subtle herbal, aromatic note to the broth during simmering.
Sherry wine
Adds acidity and a layer of aroma that brightens the rich, savory broth.

The step that matters

Skim off the fat. Fat rises to the surface as the broth cools and separates. Removing it before seasoning and serving keeps the broth clear and prevents a greasy mouthfeel.

“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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