Why it works: Parsley and thyme match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,057 recipes. Both carry cuminaldehyde, which smells Spicy, cumin. The science ↓
Mutton or Pork Kidneys Stewed
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the kidneys
Skin the kidneys and remove the fat without cutting them.
Slice the kidneys into pieces about ¼ inch thick.
In a plate, mix parsley, thyme, salt, black pepper, and cayenne.
Sprinkle the mixture over the sliced kidneys.
Cook
Melt butter in a pan and add the kidneys, browning them quickly on both sides.
Dredge flour over the kidneys and shake to coat.
Pour in stock and add lemon juice, cooking for a few minutes.
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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Parsley + thymetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,057 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
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Parsley + lemontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,037 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Thyme + lemontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,973 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Pepper + lemontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together27,047 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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, providing the meaty texture that the quick browning sets on the surface.
- Butter
- Adds fat for browning the kidneys and carries flavour through the pan.
- Flour
- Coats the kidneys and thickens the stock into a light sauce as it cooks.
- Stock
- Provides the liquid that becomes the sauce, moistening the kidneys as they simmer.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the rich kidneys and sauce.
The step that matters
Browning the kidneys quickly on both sides. Searing over high heat browns the surface and locks in juices. Overcooking makes kidneys tough and rubbery, so they should be cooked briefly until just done.
“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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