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 ↓
Steamed Salmon
Ingredients
Directions
Make the loaf
Mix 1 can salmon, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 3 eggs with 1/2 cup bread crumbs, saving the yolks for the dressing.
Season with salt, pepper, mustard, cayenne and parsley, if liked.
Mix thoroughly and steam one hour.
Make the dressing
Cream 1 tablespoon butter with 1 teaspoon corn starch and 1/2 cup milk, and cook until clear.
Add liquor from salmon with the beaten egg yolks.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 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 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 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).
-
Corn + milktop 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 and supplies most of its flavor.
- Eggs
- Bind the loaf as they set with heat, giving it structure.
- Bread crumbs (in the method)
- Absorb moisture and help hold the loaf together while it steams.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richness and a softer, moister texture.
- Milk
- Provides the liquid base for the creamy dressing.
- Corn starch
- Thickens the dressing as it heats, giving it body.
The step that matters
Cook the dressing until clear. Cornstarch must be heated fully to swell and thicken the liquid. If it is undercooked, the dressing stays thin and can taste raw and floury.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, corn, milk, egg, pepper):
- Nutmegfits about as well
- Cinnamonfits about as well
- Parsleythe original
- Tarragonfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, corn, 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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