Why it works: Pepper and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 34,122 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Egg Balls to Serve in Soup
Ingredients
Directions
Make the egg balls
Mash the cooked yolks of four hard-boiled eggs through a sieve, season with a little salt and pepper, one-half teaspoonful of melted butter and enough raw yolk of an egg to make the mixture the right consistency to mould in little balls.
Then poach them in hot water, or dip in egg white and flour and sauté in butter. It takes about three minutes to cook them.
Make the custard and bake
Beat four eggs slightly, add one cup of milk, chicken or veal stock, season with salt and pepper, and if desired onion juice and chopped parsley.
Turn into buttered small moulds, and steam or bake in a pan of hot water until firm in the center.
Serve
Turn out and serve hot with a cream or tomato sauce, or garnish with sliced cucumbers or olives.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 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.
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.
-
Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Butter + parsleytop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together28,563 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
-
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Hard-boiled egg yolks
- Form the bulk of the balls and give them a rich, firm body.
- Raw egg yolk
- Binds the mashed yolks so the mixture holds its shape when moulded.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and softness to the custard so it sets tender rather than dry.
- Eggs
- Set with heat to give the custard its firm, sliceable structure.
- Butter
- Adds richness and flavor to the yolk mixture and to the sautéed version.
The step that matters
Steam or bake the custard gently in hot water. Eggs set through gentle heat; high heat or boiling makes proteins tighten quickly, leaving the custard rough, curdled, or rubbery instead of smooth and firm.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, milk, egg, pepper):
- Nutmegfits about as well
- Parsleythe original
- Cinnamonfits about as well
- Tarragonfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, milk, egg, 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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