Why it works: Parsley and pepper 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 ↓
To Dkess Crab
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Chop two or three shalots and a little parsley very fine.
Put the shallots and parsley with one ounce of butter, a bunch of sweet herbs, and a teacup of broth (or water), and boil a few minutes.
Take out the herbs.
Make the filling
Add the finely grated crumbs of a roll.
Add one tablespoon of best sweet oil, one glass of sherry, and the juice of half a lemon.
Season with cayenne pepper and salt to taste.
Put in the crab to warm.
Bake and serve
Put everything nicely into the shell.
Grate bread crumbs over the top and put in the oven a few moments to brown.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Wine | 2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml) | 25 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| 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.
-
Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Butter + sherrytop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,505 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Butter + parsleytop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together28,563 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
-
Sherry + peppertop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,107 recipes
Shared aroma: piperonal (bitter, coconut).
-
Sherry + parsleytop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,310 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Butter
- Adds richness and a silky mouthfeel to the filling.
- Bread crumbs (in the method)
- Soak up the liquids and thicken the filling so it holds together in the shell.
- Sherry
- Adds acidity and aromatic depth that brightens the rich crab.
- Sweet oil
- Carries flavour and keeps the filling moist and tender.
The step that matters
Browning the top in the oven. Breadcrumbs brown quickly under dry heat, so a few moments too long can scorch them before the filling is hot. Watch closely and stop once the top is golden.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, sherry, pepper):
- Thymefits about as well
- Parsleythe original
- Sagefits less well
- Clovefits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, sherry, 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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