Name: How to Stew Fish
Ingredients: fish (such as carp); water; vegetables (optional); oil for frying; salt; pepper; wine (optional)

Why it works: Pepper and wine are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,066 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

How to Stew Fish

Ingredients

Directions

The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.

Clean and prepare the fish, removing any scales and entrails.
Heat oil in a pan and partially fry the fish until lightly browned.
In a pot, add water and any desired vegetables.
Place the browned fish into the pot and season with salt and pepper.
Simmer gently until the fish is cooked through, about 20-30 minutes.
If desired, add a splash of wine before serving.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

Pepper + winetop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together8,066 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Fish + peppertop 21% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,948 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Fish + winetop 28% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together168 recipes

Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).