Gravy

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.

1. Shallot + mushroomtop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together1,982 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

2. Beef + mushroomtop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together3,232 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).

3. Shallot + clovetop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together1,677 recipes

   Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).

4. White wine + mushroomtop 5% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together1,765 recipes

   Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity).

5. Clove + macetop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together8,400 recipes

   Shared aroma: methyleugenol (clove, spice).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Beef

Provides the meaty flavor and body that the stewed liquid carries.

Butter

Browns in the pan to add a toasted, savory aroma before the liquids go in.

Red or white wine

Adds acidity and depth of flavor to the stewed liquid.

Anchovies

Dissolve during stewing to add savory depth without a fishy taste.

Shallots

Add a mild sweetness and aromatic flavor as they soften in the liquid.

The step that matters

Swap the white pepper

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, beef, white wine, shallot, clove, mace, mushroom):

1. Thymefits better
2. Nutmegfits better
3. Marjoramfits better
4. White pepperthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, beef, white wine, shallot, clove, mace, mushroom. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.