Why it works: Thyme and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,057 recipes. Both carry cuminaldehyde, which smells Spicy, cumin. The science ↓
Cod Fritters
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the cod
Place the cod into cold water for a few hours, then boil for thirty minutes.
Let the cod cool.
Remove the skin and bones.
Mince the cod thinly with the onion, garlic, chives, thyme, parsley, and hot pepper.
Make the batter
Whisk the flour and add the water little by little, do not make it lumpy.
Season the batter to taste and add 2 egg yolks, the drop of vinegar, the pinch of baking soda, and stiffly-beaten egg whites.
Fry and serve
Dip the batter in very hot oil for about 5 minutes in small quantities.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 12 of 13 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 12 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Salmon | 100g cooked | 208 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Thyme | 1 tsp dried (1.4g) | 4 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Chive | 1 tbsp (3g) | 1 |
| 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.
-
Thyme + parsleytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,057 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Garlic + chivetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,149 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Clove + thymetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together4,108 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Forms the batter's structure once whisked smooth with water.
- Cod
- Provides the main body and flavor of the fritters.
- Eggs
- Yolks enrich the batter, while whipped whites lighten and help it rise.
- Baking soda
- Reacts in the batter to help it puff and become lighter.
- Onion
- Adds aromatic sweetness and savory depth to the minced filling.
The step that matters
Adding the stiffly-beaten egg whites. Whites hold air that lightens the batter; if they are deflated or overmixed, the fritters turn dense and heavy instead of airy.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, onion, garlic, chive, thyme, parsley, pepper):
- Marjoramfits better
- Winter savoryfits better
- Capersfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, onion, garlic, chive, thyme, parsley, pepper. 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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