Why it works: Vinegar and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 18,226 recipes. Both carry acetic acid, which smells sour, vinegar. The science ↓
Shad in Jelly
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the fish
Thoroughly clean the fish.
Cut the fish into slices about an inch thick and lay in cold water for about 2 hours.
Poach
Boil all the ingredients in the water for a short time.
Add the fish and boil for 15 minutes longer.
Remove from the liquor and arrange on a deep platter.
Set and serve
Strain the liquor and thicken with potato meal or add gelatin to stiffen.
Pour the thickened liquid over the fish and let stand until set.
Serve cold, plain or with vinegar and oil.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Bay Leaf | 1 leaf (0.6g) | 2 |
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.
-
Vinegar + oniontop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,226 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Shad (in the method)
- Forms the main body of the dish, becoming firm and tender when poached and chilled.
- Gelatin (in the method)
- Stiffens the cooking liquid so it sets into a jelly around the fish when chilled.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that sharpens the flavor of the fish and the jelly.
The step that matters
Thickening the strained liquor. The liquid must be thickened with potato meal or gelatin before pouring over the fish. Gelatin sets only when cooled, so if the liquid is too thin or too hot it will not form a firm jelly.
“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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