Name: Stewed Chicken
Ingredients: 2 heaped tablespoons cooked chicken, diced; 1 slice toasted bread, diced; 2 large potatoes, coarsely chopped; 1 tablespoon raisins; 2 tomatoes, diced; 1 green chili, finely shredded; ¼ pint Sauterne (½ cup); Coarse sea salt to taste; Water as needed; 1 ounce lard, cut into small pieces

Why it works: Potato and tomato match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,798 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

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.

Potato + tomatotop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together2,798 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Chicken + potatotop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,756 recipes

Shared aroma: (z)-4-decenal (green, must).
Chicken + tomatotop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together6,031 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Bread + tomatotop 10% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,013 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Chicken + breadtop 14% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,258 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity).

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

What each ingredient does

Potatoes: Break down while stewing to thicken the liquid and give body to the dish.
Lard: Adds fat and richness, carrying flavour through the slow-cooked stew.
Toasted bread: Soaks up liquid and helps thicken the stew.
Tomatoes: Add acidity and moisture, building the stew's savoury base.
Cooked chicken: Provides the main protein and savoury flavour.