Why it works: Thyme and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,057 recipes. Both carry cuminaldehyde, which smells Spicy, cumin. The science ↓
Pot-au-feu
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Make the broth
In a large stock pot, combine water and beef.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.
Add carrots, leeks, onion, and bouquet garni.
Season with coarse sea salt.
Simmer for 3-4 hours, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface.
Serve
Remove the meat and vegetables; strain the broth before serving.
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.
-
Thyme + parsleytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,057 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
-
Carrot + parsleytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together8,053 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Leek + thymetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together360 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
-
Carrot + leektop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,310 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Carrot + thymetop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together4,563 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Beef
- Provides rich flavor and tender meat as it slowly simmers in the broth.
- Leeks
- Add a mild, sweet onion-like aroma that softens and flavors the broth.
- Carrots
- Contribute natural sweetness and body to the broth.
- Onion
- Adds savory depth and aroma to the broth as it cooks.
The step that matters
Skimming the foam. Foam that rises during simmering contains proteins and impurities. Skimming it keeps the broth clear and clean-tasting instead of cloudy or greasy.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, carrot, leek, thyme, parsley):
- Parsnipfits better
- Turnipfits better
- Shallotfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, carrot, leek, thyme, parsley. 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.
More pot-au-feu recipes
You might also like
Roast Beef211 recipes
Beef Loaf175 recipes
Carrot Soup134 recipes
Corned Beef87 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.