Why it works: Pepper and dill match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,630 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Egg Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Place eggs in a pot of cold water with 1 teaspoon salt and boil until hard-boiled.
Dice onions (and later mushrooms) in a food processor.
Peel the hard-boiled eggs under cold water.
Cook the onions and mushrooms
Place diced onions in a pan and cook on low for one minute to remove bitterness.
Add pepper to the onions.
Pour oil over the onions and stir.
After a few minutes, add diced mushroom pieces and fry together.
Make the salad
Chop the eggs, fried onion mixture, salt, mayonnaise, and dill together.
The mixture should have a fine spread texture.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
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 + dilltop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,630 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + mushroomtop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,626 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Pepper + mushroomtop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together13,580 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Onion + dilltop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,639 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Provide the main body and protein structure of the salad once chopped and bound.
- Mayonnaise
- Adds moisture, fat and creaminess so the chopped mixture holds together as a spread.
- Onions
- Contribute sharp, savoury flavour and aroma, which mellow when cooked.
- Mushroom pieces
- Add savoury depth and a softer, meaty texture to the mixture.
- Oil
- Carries flavour and helps the onions and mushrooms fry and soften.
The step that matters
Peel the hard-boiled eggs under cold water. Cooling eggs quickly after boiling helps the shells separate from the whites, so the eggs peel cleanly without tearing.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, pepper, mushroom, dill):
- Spinachfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Shallotfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, pepper, mushroom, dill. 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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