Fillet of Mutton Stewed

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. Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together68,474 recipes

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

2. Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together124,287 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

3. Onion + buttertop 15% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together42,912 recipes

   Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

4. Onion + flourtop 17% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together32,460 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

5. Pepper + flourtop 19% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together50,459 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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

Mutton fillet (in the method)

Provides the meat that becomes tender during slow stewing.

Flour

Coats the meat so it browns and helps thicken the gravy.

Gravy

Supplies the liquid that keeps the meat moist during long cooking.

Onions

Add sweetness and savory depth as they soften in the stew.

The step that matters

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, butter, flour):

1. Shallotfits better
2. Chivefits better
3. Capsicumfits better
4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, butter, flour. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.