Why it works: Tomato and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,923 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the tomatoes
Wipe the tomatoes.
Cut a slice from the stem end of each tomato.
Scoop out the inside of each tomato with a teaspoon.
Sprinkle the inside of each tomato with salt.
Invert the tomatoes.
Let the tomatoes stand for 15 minutes.
Make the filling
Brown the onion slightly in butter.
Add breadcrumbs, meat, tomato pulp, and seasonings to the onion mixture.
Cook the mixture for 5 minutes.
Add the slightly beaten egg to the mixture.
Cook the mixture for 1 minute.
Fill and bake
Refill the tomato shells with the mixture.
Cover the filled tomatoes with buttered breadcrumbs.
Place the tomatoes in a greased pan or casserole.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 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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Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Tomato + oniontop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Onion + buttertop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together42,912 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Tomatoes
- Form the edible shells and add moisture and acidity to the filling.
- Breadcrumbs
- Absorb the tomato juices and bind the filling so it holds its shape.
- Egg
- Sets when baked, binding the filling together.
- Butter
- Adds richness and helps the onion brown lightly for flavour.
- Cooked veal, chicken, or ham
- Adds savoury meaty flavour and substance to the filling.
The step that matters
Cook the filling only briefly after adding the egg. Egg proteins set when heated, so overcooking the mixture after adding the egg can make it dry and rubbery instead of tender and cohesive.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, butter, veal, pepper, egg):
- Chivefits better
- Potatofits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, butter, veal, pepper, egg. 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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