Why it works: Pepper and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 34,122 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Fish Croquettes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Mix the cooked fish with white sauce, salt, pepper, cayenne, and chopped parsley.
Form the mixture into croquettes.
Roll the croquettes in egg and breadcrumbs.
Place them in a well-dressed paper bag.
Bake
Cook in a very hot oven at 400°F (200°C) for twenty 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.
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.
-
Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Fish + parsleytop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,341 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Fish + saucetop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,487 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Fish + peppertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,948 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Parsley + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,765 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cooked fish
- Forms the bulk and main flavor of the croquettes.
- White sauce
- Binds the fish so the mixture holds its shape when formed.
- Egg
- Helps the breadcrumb coating adhere and set during baking.
- Breadcrumbs
- Forms a crisp outer coating that browns in the oven.
The step that matters
Rolling the croquettes in egg and breadcrumbs. Egg and breadcrumbs form the coating that keeps the croquettes together and crisp. If the croquettes are not well coated, they can break apart or dry out in the hot oven.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (fish, sauce, pepper, egg):
- Capersfits about as well
- Parsleythe original
- Tarragonfits about as well
- Nutmegfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against fish, sauce, 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.
You might also like
Fried Fish120 recipes
Scalloped Cod69 recipes
Broiled Fish68 recipes
Fish Cutlets30 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.