Why it works: Potato and chive work together. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 611 recipes. Both carry decanal, which smells soap, orange peel. The science ↓
Irish Omelet
Ingredients
Directions
Make the potato mixture
Add the beaten egg yolks to the mashed potato and mix the two ingredients thoroughly.
Add the lemon juice, chives, salt and pepper to the mixture.
Cook and finish
Heat the butter in the omelet pan.
Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then stir them into the potato mixture.
Cook the mixture until it turns golden.
Run the mixture under the broiler to finish.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Chives | 1 tbsp (3g) | 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.
-
Potato + chivetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together611 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together27,047 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Potato + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,305 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Lemon + chivetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,122 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Chive + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,885 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Yolks bind the potato and add richness; whipped whites lighten the mixture so it puffs and sets softly.
- Potatoes
- Mashed potato forms the body of the omelette and keeps it moist and tender.
- Butter
- Fat in the pan that helps the base brown and prevents sticking.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavour of the rich eggs and potato.
The step that matters
Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Whites must form stable foam to trap air; under-whisked or deflated whites won't lift the mixture, and over-whisked whites turn dry and grainy and break when folded in.
Swap the potato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, lemon, chive, pepper, butter):
- Shallotfits better
- Leekfits better
- Asparagusfits better
- Potatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, lemon, chive, pepper, butter. 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
The 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.
Rice Gruel28 recipes
Peptoned Milk Gruel9 recipes