Why it works: Beef and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and 18,971 recipes mention both. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
The recipe
Ingredients
Directions
Make the broth
Boil the shin beef in water until the broth is flavorful.
Strain the broth and return it to the pot with the trussed capon.
Add half of the leeks to the pot and bring to a boil.
Skim off any foam that forms on the surface.
Finish the soup
After 30 minutes, add the remaining leeks and season with pepper and salt.
Cook until the leeks are very soft and the soup is thick.
Serve the capon in the tureen with the soup, if desired.
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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Beef + peppertop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together18,971 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Beef + leektop 6% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together659 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl butyrate (apple, fruity).
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Leek + peppertop 9% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together965 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-hexanol (resin, flower).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Shin beef
- Releases flavor and gelatin into the water, giving the broth body and depth.
- Capon or large fowl
- Adds rich meaty flavor to the broth as it simmers and can be served with the soup.
- Leeks
- Soften during long simmering, adding mild onion-like sweetness and thickening the soup.
The step that matters
Skim off any foam that forms on the surface. Foam is made of coagulated proteins and impurities that cloud the broth and can taste bitter. Removing it early keeps the soup clear and clean-flavored.
“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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