Why it works: Carrot and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,053 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Potato White Sauce Stew
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the vegetables
Peel the carrot, parsley root and onion, wash and julienne them.
Set the vegetables to boil with 0.5 qt (0.5 l) water.
When the vegetables are done, strain and set them aside for another use.
Make the stew
Place the cut potatoes in the vegetable broth, add salt and milk, and boil until the potatoes are done.
In a separate pan, fry the flour with the butter or lard until golden.
Add the potato liquid and mix well.
Then add the potatoes and boil for another couple of minutes.
Serve
Serve hot.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Lard | 1 tbsp (12.8g) | 115 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Carrot | 1 medium (61g) | 25 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| 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.
-
Carrot + parsleytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together8,053 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + carrottop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,107 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
-
Potato + parsleytop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,855 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Onion + carrottop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together21,601 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
- Potatoes
- Form the body of the stew and thicken it as their starch softens in the liquid.
- Flour
- Cooked with butter or lard into a roux that thickens the white sauce.
- Butter or lard
- Carries the flour in the roux and adds richness to the sauce.
- Milk
- Adds creaminess and body to the white sauce.
- Onion
- Adds savoury aroma and sweetness as it cooks into the broth.
The step that matters
Frying the flour with the fat until golden. Cooking the flour in fat until golden removes the raw starchy taste and lets it thicken evenly. Adding the liquid too early or without cooking the roux can leave lumps or a pasty flavour.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, carrot, parsley, flour, butter, milk):
- Parsnipfits better
- Leekfits better
- Chivefits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against potato, carrot, parsley, flour, butter, milk. 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
Potato Croquettes255 recipes
Carrot Soup134 recipes
Potato Rolls78 recipes
Potato Chips53 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.