Why it works: Parsley and onion are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 25,843 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
The Star Crystal Cook Book
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the filling
Add a spoonful of salt, one-half saltspoonful of cayenne, one-half teaspoonful of chopped onion, and one teaspoonful of chopped parsley.
Cook onion and parsley in a large frying pan for three minutes, then add one-half of the bread crumbs.
Divide the eggplant lengthwise into two halves, and with a spoon scoop out the flesh, leaving a shell about an inch thick.
Chop the scooped eggplant finely and add it to the bread crumb mixture in the frying pan.
Cook the mixture slowly, stirring often, for ten to fifteen minutes.
Stuff and bake
Remove from heat, add the well-beaten egg, and fill the eggplant shells, covering with the remaining crumbs and dotting with bits of butter.
Bake in a hot oven for twenty minutes, and serve very hot.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
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 + oniontop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together25,843 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
- Eggplant (in the method)
- Forms the shell and the soft, moist filling that holds the stuffing together.
- Bread crumbs (in the method)
- Absorb moisture and bind with the eggplant to give the filling body.
- Egg (in the method)
- Binds the filling so it sets firmly when baked.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds fat that melts over the top and promotes gentle browning.
The step that matters
Cook the mixture slowly, stirring often, for ten to fifteen minutes. Slow cooking lets the chopped eggplant soften and release water evaporating gradually, so the filling becomes thick rather than soupy. Stirring prevents scorching on the pan bottom.
“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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