Why it works: Parsley and dill match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 669 recipes. Both carry p-mentha-1,3,8-triene, which smells camphor, herbal. The science ↓
Chicken with Green Beans
Ingredients
Directions
Braise
Slightly fry the chicken pieces in lard until they turn yellow.
Add the finely chopped onion and a teaspoon of flour, mix and let fry for a little while.
Add a half cup of chicken broth (or water), the cleaned green beans and the peeled, seeded and cut tomatoes.
Add salt and chopped greens and let simmer, covered, for a half hour.
Finish in the oven
Then set in the oven until the liquid is greatly reduced.
You can also use raw onion. In this case, add it with the chicken broth.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Lard | 1 tbsp (12.8g) | 115 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | 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.
-
Parsley + dilltop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together669 recipes
Shared aroma: p-mentha-1,3,8-triene (camphor, herbal).
-
Green beans + tomatotop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together113 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + dilltop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together511 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,633 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + parsleytop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,398 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Chicken
- Main protein; browning in lard builds savory flavor on the surface.
- Lard
- Fat that carries heat for browning the chicken and adds richness.
- Onion
- Softens and sweetens as it cooks, adding aroma to the sauce.
- Flour
- Coats the onion and fat, helping thicken the cooking liquid.
- Tomatoes
- Add acidity and moisture that becomes part of the sauce.
- Green beans
- Provide the main vegetable, becoming tender while simmering in the liquid.
The step that matters
Reducing the liquid in the oven. Reduction concentrates flavor, but if the liquid evaporates too far the chicken and beans can dry out and scorch. Watch the pan and stop once the sauce is thickened.
Swap the green beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (chicken, onion, tomato, parsley, dill, flour):
- Carrotfits better
- Potatofits better
- Okrafits better
- Green beansthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against chicken, onion, tomato, parsley, dill, flour. 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
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Chicken Broth257 recipes
Green Peas229 recipes
Green Pea Soup181 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.