Mushroom Pâté

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.

1. Shallot + parsleytop 1% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together3,737 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

2. Parsley + rosemarytop 3% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together713 recipes

   Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

3. Shallot + mushroomtop 4% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together1,982 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

4. Butter + breadtop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together27,232 recipes

   Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).

5. Butter + mushroomtop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together12,525 recipes

   Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Mushrooms

Provide the bulk and savoury, earthy flavour of the pâté while releasing moisture as they cook.

Eggs

Bind the mixture and set when baked, giving the pâté its firm, sliceable structure.

Cream cheese

Adds richness and a creamy, smooth texture that softens the pâté.

Soft whole wheat bread crumbs

Absorb excess moisture and add body so the mixture holds together.

Butter

Adds fat and richness, and helps soften the shallots and mushrooms without browning them.

The step that matters

Swap the rosemary

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, shallot, mushroom, cream cheese, wheat, bread, parsley):

1. Capersfits better
2. Thymefits better
3. Nutmegfits better
4. Rosemarythe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, shallot, mushroom, cream cheese, wheat, bread, parsley. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.