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 ↓
Omelette Aux Rognons, Sauce Tomate
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the omelette
In a bowl, beat the eggs with salt and pepper.
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Pour in the eggs and cook until set but still slightly runny on top.
Fill and serve
Place the cooked kidneys in the center of the omelet.
Fold the omelet over the kidneys and slide onto a plate.
Pour the tomato sauce and any remaining kidney gravy over the omelet.
Add more wine if needed and serve immediately.
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 + red winetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Butter + saucetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together15,338 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Tomato + saucetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together5,469 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Butter + red winetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,599 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
Butter and sauce barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 15,338 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Set to form the omelette's structure while staying tender.
- Butter
- Adds richness and helps the eggs release from the skillet.
- Cooked kidneys
- Provide the main savoury filling and meaty flavour.
- Tomato sauce
- Adds acidity and moisture to balance the rich filling.
- Red wine
- Adds depth and acidity to the sauce.
The step that matters
Cook until set but still slightly runny on top. Egg proteins set with heat, and overcooking squeezes out moisture and makes the omelette tough and dry. Stopping while the top is still slightly wet keeps it tender once folded and served.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, butter, sauce, red wine, pepper):
- Capsicumfits about as well
- Shallotfits about as well
- Tomatothe original
- Asparagusfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, butter, sauce, red wine, 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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