Why it works: Butter and bread are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,232 recipes. Both carry delta-decalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Salsify
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Scrape the salsify roots clean.
Cover them with cold water mixed with a little vinegar to prevent blackening.
Boil the salsify in salted water until tender.
Mashed salsify
For mashed salsify, pick out the fibers.
Season with salt.
Mix in butter.
Serve warm.
Fried salsify
For fried salsify, drain.
Slice.
Dip in fritter batter.
Fry in hot fat.
Creamed and escaloped salsify
For creamed salsify, slice ½ inch thick.
Boil until tender.
Drain most of the liquid.
Add milk or cream and salt.
Boil for 5 to 10 minutes.
Thicken the mixture with rice flour.
Add a large lump of butter if using milk.
Serve hot.
For escaloped salsify, mash it.
Moisten with milk.
Add butter, salt, and pepper.
Place in a baking pan.
Cover with dry crumbs.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) for about 7 to 8 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.
-
Butter + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Milk + ricetop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,374 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Milk + breadtop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,466 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).
-
Rice + peppertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,379 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Salsify roots
- Provide the main vegetable body that becomes tender when boiled and carries each dish's texture.
- Butter
- Adds richness and a smooth mouthfeel to the mashed and creamed versions.
- Milk or cream
- Adds moisture and richness, turning the salsify into a creamy mixture.
- Rice flour or other thickening
- Thickens the creamed salsify so it holds together rather than running loose.
- Dry bread crumbs
- Form a crisp, browned topping on the escaloped salsify in the oven.
The step that matters
Covering the roots in acidulated water after scraping. Salsify flesh darkens quickly when cut or peeled because of enzymatic browning. A little vinegar in cold water slows this reaction, keeping the roots pale until they are cooked.
“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.
More salsify recipes
You might also like
Brown Bread461 recipes
Rice Fritters84 recipes
White Bread80 recipes
Bread Omelette60 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.