Why it works: Potato and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Potato Salad III
Ingredients
Directions
Cook the potatoes
Wash, boil, peel and let cool the potatoes.
Mix the salad
Slice the cooled potatoes and mix with the boned, desalted, thinly sliced herring, olives, chopped onions, oil, and vinegar.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Olive | 1 large (4g) | 4 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Herring | not in our table | 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.
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Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + olivetop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,458 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).
-
Onion + olivetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,779 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Olive + vinegartop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,297 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, fruity).
-
Onion + vinegartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,226 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potatoes
- Form the bulk of the salad and give it a soft, starchy body.
- Herring
- Provides the main savory flavor and a tender, flaky texture.
- Onions
- Add sharp, pungent aroma and a bit of crunch.
- Olives
- Add briny saltiness and a firm bite.
- Oil
- Adds fat that carries flavor and gives the potatoes a smooth coating.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavors and balances the fat.
The step that matters
Let the potatoes cool before slicing and mixing. Cooled potatoes hold their shape when sliced instead of breaking apart. Cooked starch firms as it cools, so the slices stay intact and keep their texture in the salad.
Swap the potato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, olive, vinegar):
- Mustardfits better
- Tomatofits better
- Cucumberfits better
- Potatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, olive, vinegar. 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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