Why it works: Pepper and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 34,122 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Mutton-Kidneys, in Champagne
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Peel and slice the kidneys thinly.
In a stew-pan, combine kidneys and minced beef suet.
Season with pepper, salt, nutmeg, parsley, and mushrooms.
Cook over medium heat, tossing frequently.
Once they begin to cook, sprinkle in flour and add Champagne.
Stir continuously for 4-5 minutes until cooked.
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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Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Nutmeg + parsleytop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,062 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Beef + mushroomtop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,232 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
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Pepper + nutmegtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together13,015 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Nutmeg + flourtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,623 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mutton kidneys
- Form the main body of the dish, cooking to a tender texture when sliced thinly.
- Beef suet
- Adds fat that enriches the dish and keeps the kidneys moist as they cook.
- Flour
- Thickens the cooking liquid into a light sauce that clings to the kidneys.
- Champagne or light sweet white wine
- Adds acidity and liquid that deglaze the pan and balance the richness of the fat.
- Mushrooms
- Contribute moisture and savoury, earthy flavour to the sauce.
The step that matters
Stir continuously for 4-5 minutes until cooked. Kidneys turn tough and rubbery if overcooked, so they should be stirred and removed as soon as they are just cooked through. Constant stirring with the flour also keeps the sauce smooth rather than lumpy.
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (mutton, beef, pepper, parsley, mushroom, flour, champagne):
- Thymefits better
- Marjoramfits better
- Tarragonfits better
- Nutmegthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against mutton, beef, pepper, parsley, mushroom, flour, champagne. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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