Why it works: Cabbage and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,081 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Baked Cabbage
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the cabbage
Boil the cabbage until it can be pierced with a fork.
Chop the cabbage finely and place it in a baking dish.
Bake
In a bowl, mix the beaten egg, milk, salt, and pepper.
Pour the mixture over the chopped cabbage.
Bake for 30 minutes in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C).
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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Cabbage + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,081 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Egg + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Milk + peppertop 22% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together26,984 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
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Cabbage + milktop 25% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together599 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).
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Cabbage + eggtop 32% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,391 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-octenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cabbage
- Forms the bulk of the dish and, once boiled, becomes tender enough to hold its shape when baked.
- Egg
- Sets when baked, binding the custard so it holds together rather than running out.
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base of the custard, adding moisture and softness as it cooks.
The step that matters
Boil the cabbage until it can be pierced with a fork. Cabbage that is undercooked stays firm and releases less moisture into the custard, while overcooking makes it limp and watery. Testing with a fork ensures it is tender enough to bake well.
Swap the cabbage
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, milk, pepper):
- Capsicumfits better
- Potatofits better
- Asparagusfits better
- Cabbagethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, milk, pepper. 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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