Why it works: Onion and carrot are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 21,601 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Oignons Farcis — Stuffed Onions
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Peel the onions, being careful not to cut the root too close.
Scoop out the insides of the onions.
Parboil the onions in salted water for 10 minutes, then drain.
Fill the onions with stuffing as explained for Stuffed Cucumbers.
Line a pan with sliced carrots, onions, and fat ham.
Add a bundle of herbs and place the onions in the pan.
Cover each onion with a thin slice of fat pork.
Moisten with good stock and cook for 1 hour at 350°F (175°C).
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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Onion + carrottop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together21,601 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Onion + porktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,214 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Ham + porktop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,638 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (popcorn, roasted).
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Carrot + porktop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,772 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Onion + hamtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,159 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Swap the carrot
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, ham, pork):
- Potatofits better
- Mustardfits better
- Turnipfits about as well
- Carrotthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, ham, pork. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
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