Why it works: Flour and ketchup are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 13% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,435 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Kidneys Saute
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Slice the kidneys about ¼ inch thick and dip each piece in flour.
Cut the bacon into thin strips.
Cook
Heat the hot fat in a pan and add the floured kidneys.
Add the bacon to the pan to frizzle.
Cook the kidneys for 4 to 5 minutes, turning them in the fat.
Pour off excess fat, sprinkle with pepper and salt.
Serve
Add ketchup and boiling water, stir, and pour over the hot toast.
Serve immediately.
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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Flour + ketchuptop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,435 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Flour + peppertop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together50,459 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Pepper + ketchuptop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,207 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Kidneys
- Form the main body of the dish, cooked to a tender, savoury bite.
- Flour
- Coats the kidney slices so they brown in the fat and form a light crust.
- Bacon
- Frizzles in the pan, adding fat and smoky savour to the kidneys.
- Ketchup or tomato sauce
- Adds sweetness and acidity to the pan sauce poured over the toast.
The step that matters
Cook the kidneys for 4 to 5 minutes, turning them in the fat. Kidney slices are thin and cook quickly. Too little time leaves them underdone, while too long makes them tough and dry. Turning them lets both sides brown evenly in the hot fat.
“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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