Name: Asparagus Salad, Garnished with Eggs
Ingredients: a bunch of cooked asparagus on a bed of lettuce; two hard-boiled eggs that have been pressed through a potato ricer

Why it works: Asparagus and lettuce match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 313 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Asparagus Salad, Garnished with Eggs

Ingredients

a bunch of cooked asparagus on a bed of lettuce
two hard-boiled eggs that have been pressed through a potato ricer

Directions

Place a bunch of cooked asparagus on a bed of lettuce.
Cover with French dressing.
Sprinkle the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs that have been pressed through a potato ricer over the center.
Cut the whites of the eggs into rings and surround the outside.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

271Calories

14 gProtein

6 gFat

44 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 4 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Potato	1 medium (173g) baked	161
Egg	1 large egg (50g)	78
Asparagus	6 spears (90g)	27
Lettuce	1 cup shredded (36g)	5

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

By Norton, Caroline Trask. Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.

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.

Asparagus + lettucetop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together313 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Asparagus + potatotop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together217 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Lettuce + potatotop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together322 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
Asparagus + eggtop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,338 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Egg + potatotop 29% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,978 recipes

Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).

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

What each ingredient does

Asparagus: Forms the main body of the salad, giving a tender, slightly grassy base.
Hard-boiled eggs: Yolks add richness and a crumbly texture; whites add firm, mild structure.
French dressing (in the method): Its oil adds fat and moisture, while its vinegar adds acidity.