Why it works: Liver and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,375 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Liver Patties
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the filling
Steam or boil the calf liver until cooked, then chop it finely.
Season the chopped liver with salt, pepper, catsup, and Worcestershire sauce to taste.
Add a little thick brown sauce and mix well.
Serve
Serve the mixture in hot patty shells.
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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Liver + peppertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,375 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Liver + saucetop 23% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together499 recipes
Shared aroma: decanoic acid (soapy, waxy).
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Pepper + saucetop 27% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together15,303 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Pepper and sauce barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 15,303 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Calf liver
- Forms the main body of the filling, giving it its meaty flavour and texture.
- Thick brown sauce
- Adds moisture and richness so the chopped liver holds together and is less dry.
- Catsup
- Adds sweetness and acidity that balance the strong flavour of the liver.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Adds savoury depth and a tangy, fermented flavour to the filling.
The step that matters
Chop the liver finely after cooking. Liver turns firm and grainy when overcooked, so it should be cooked just through. Chopping it finely gives an even texture that blends with the sauces instead of leaving dry lumps.
“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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