Why it works: Spinach and peas work together. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 550 recipes. Both carry 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells green bell pepper, earthy. The science ↓
Leg of Lamb
Ingredients
Directions
In a large pot, bring the mutton broth or water to a boil.
Add the leg of lamb and skim off any foam.
Reduce heat and let it simmer gently for 45 minutes, or until tender.
Serve garnished with spinach and stewed peas or asparagus peas.
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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Spinach + peastop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together550 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
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Lamb + muttontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together598 recipes
Shared aroma: trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
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Lamb + spinachtop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together300 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).
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Lamb + peastop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together650 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
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Mutton + peastop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together598 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Leg of lamb
- Provides the main protein, which becomes tender and flavorful as it simmers slowly.
- Mutton broth
- Forms the simmering liquid that carries flavor into the meat and keeps it moist.
The step that matters
Skimming the foam. Foam that rises when the lamb first meets the boiling liquid contains denatured proteins and impurities. Removing it keeps the broth clear and clean-tasting.
Swap the spinach
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (lamb, mutton, peas):
- Asparagusfits better
- Potatofits about as well
- Tomatofits about as well
- Spinachthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against lamb, mutton, peas. 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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