Why it works: Peas and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,331 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Peas and Bacon
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a rather quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Cook the peas
Scrape and wash the bacon, then place it in a pot with 3 quarts of cold water over medium heat.
Pick over the peas and add them to the pot with the bacon.
Boil gently for about 2 hours, adding ⅓ cup of cold water every 15 minutes to soften the peas.
Once the peas are soft, drain them and place them in a baking dish.
Season and bake
Season the peas with coarse sea salt and black pepper.
Place the bacon on top.
Brown in a 400°F (200°C) oven.
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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Peas + peppertop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,331 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
- Bacon
- Adds fat and smoky, savory flavor, and its fat browns the top in the oven.
- Dried peas
- Soften during simmering to form the tender, starchy body of the dish.
The step that matters
Simmer the peas gently and add cold water as directed. A hard boil agitates the peas and can split their skins, while a gentle simmer lets them soften evenly. Adding cold water lowers the temperature and slows the boil, helping the peas cook through without breaking apart.
“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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