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 ↓
Salt Codfish Hash with Tomatoes and Garlic
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Freshen the salt cod as directed in Codfish Cakes recipe, then simmer it for 10 minutes in a pan with water to cover.
Drain, and flake or chop in a food processor.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet.
Add the onion and garlic and sauté over medium heat until the onion is soft.
Toss together the onion, garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, cod, and pepper in a bowl.
Cook the hash
Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in the skillet, and when it is hot, spread the hash over the bottom.
Fry over medium-high heat until it is brown on the bottom.
Turn over and brown the other side.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon | 100g cooked | 208 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| 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).
-
Garlic + tomatotop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,076 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Onion + potatotop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Garlic + potatotop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,517 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
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 savory, salty flavor of the hash.
- Potatoes
- Add starch and body, helping the hash hold together and brown on the surface.
- Onion
- Softened by sautéing, it adds sweetness and savory depth to the base.
- Tomatoes
- Contribute moisture and gentle acidity that balances the rich cod and potatoes.
- Oil
- Conducts heat for frying and encourages browning on the hash's surface.
The step that matters
Browning the hash in the skillet. Spread the hash evenly and leave it undisturbed over medium-high heat so a crust forms on the bottom before turning. Stirring too early keeps it pale and mushy instead of crisp and brown.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, garlic, tomato, potato, pepper):
- Cuminfits better
- Thymefits better
- Parsleyfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, garlic, tomato, potato, 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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