Why it works: Carrot and onion 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 ↓
Bouillon
Ingredients
Directions
Make the broth
Combine the beef or veal, carrots, onion, bacon, and ½ cup of water in a saucepan.
Season with salt to taste.
Let it simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once it begins to stick to the saucepan, add 1 pint of water.
Boil gently for another 30 minutes.
Skim off any scum that forms.
Finish and serve
Strain the broth through a sieve before serving.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Carrot + oniontop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together21,601 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,092 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Beef + carrottop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,606 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Beef or veal
- Releases gelatin and savoury flavour into the liquid as it simmers.
- Bacon
- Adds smoky, fatty depth to the broth.
- Onion
- Contributes sweetness and aroma as it cooks down.
- Carrots
- Add natural sweetness and body to the broth.
The step that matters
Skim off any scum that forms. Scum is coagulated protein and fat rising to the surface. Removing it as it forms keeps the broth clear and prevents a muddy, greasy flavour.
Swap the carrot
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, onion):
- Potatofits better
- Chivefits better
- Leekfits about as well
- Carrotthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, onion. 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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