Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓
Bacalhau II
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Soak cod fish overnight.
Boil the cod fish the next day in unsalted water for 15 minutes.
Flake the fish and set aside.
Boil the potatoes, slice them, and set aside.
Slice the onion, peppers, crush the garlic, and sauté in olive oil.
Layer and bake
In a large casserole, layer potatoes, then fish, sliced hard-boiled eggs, onion, peppers, and garlic.
Sprinkle olives and parsley over the layers.
Pour olive oil over the entire casserole.
Cover and bake at 350°F for ½ hour in a 3-quart casserole dish.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 13 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon | 100g cooked | 208 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Olive | 1 large (4g) | 4 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| 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.
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Garlic + olivetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together25,665 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + garlictop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,517 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Salt cod
- Provides the main protein and flaky texture once soaked and boiled.
- Potatoes
- Form the starchy base layer that soaks up oil and bakes tender.
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Add richness and a creamy texture to the layers.
- Garlic
- Adds pungent aroma that mellows and sweetens as it cooks in oil.
- Onions
- Contribute sweetness and savour as they soften in olive oil.
The step that matters
Soaking and boiling the cod. Salt cod is very salty and must be soaked long enough and boiled in unsalted water so the fish is seasoned mildly. Skipping or shortening this leaves the dish too salty and the fish tough or unevenly textured.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, onion, pepper, egg, garlic, olive, parsley):
- Thymefits better
- Dillfits better
- Cuminfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against potato, onion, pepper, egg, garlic, olive, parsley. 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
Potato Rolls78 recipes
Potato Chips53 recipes
Sweet Potato Croquettes53 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.