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 ↓
Salmon Loaf
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the loaf mixture
Drain the liquid from the salmon.
Beat the eggs separately.
Melt the butter (not too hot).
Put the breadcrumbs in the eggs.
Season with salt, pepper, and parsley.
Add the butter to the fish mixture.
Add the remaining ingredients.
Steam the loaf
Put the mixture in a buttered mold and steam for 1 hour.
Make the sauce
Heat one cup of milk to boiling.
Rub together 1 tablespoon of corn starch and 1 tablespoon of butter.
Add the liquid from the salmon and the milk.
Add slowly one well beaten egg and cook until smooth.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| 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.
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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).
-
Milk + corntop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,955 recipes
Shared aroma: hexanal (green, grassy).
-
Corn + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,324 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Corn + parsleytop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together943 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Salmon (in the method)
- Forms the body of the loaf, giving it its flesh and bulk.
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture so the loaf holds together once steamed.
- Butter
- Adds richness and moisture to the fish and the sauce.
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base of the sauce, giving it body and smoothness.
- Corn starch
- Thickens the sauce, letting it turn smooth and hold its shape.
The step that matters
Add the beaten egg slowly to the sauce. Adding the egg gradually while stirring lets it blend in gently. Dumping it in at once can scramble the egg and leave lumps instead of a smooth sauce.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, milk, corn, egg, pepper):
- Nutmegfits about as well
- Cinnamonfits about as well
- Parsleythe original
- Tarragonfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, milk, corn, 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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