Why it works: Butter and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 17% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 118,967 recipes. Both carry decanal, which smells soap, orange peel. The science ↓
Salmon in a Mold
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Chop salmon finely; rub in melted butter (not hot) until smooth; season with pepper and salt.
Beat eggs well, add parsley, and lastly the breadcrumbs.
Steam and serve
Place in well-buttered mold and steam 1 hour.
Serve with catsup or butter sauce.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| 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.
-
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Butter
- Adds richness and moisture, keeping the salmon mixture tender rather than dry.
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture and set as it steams, giving the loaf its structure.
The step that matters
Rubbing in the butter while it is not hot. If the melted butter is too hot it can cook or partly scramble the fish and eggs before steaming, and it may separate instead of blending smoothly. Letting it cool slightly helps the mixture stay smooth and moist.
“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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