Why it works: Potato and parsley are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,855 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Round the Table
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the potatoes
Wash potatoes thoroughly.
If potatoes are old, peel them and scoop out all eyes; soak in salted water for some time.
Rub new potatoes with a coarse cloth.
Place potatoes (unpeeled) in a saucepan with cold water to about an inch above the potatoes.
Sprinkle with salt.
Place a wet cloth over the top of the saucepan.
Boil
Put the saucepan on the fire; cook for about half an hour until the potatoes are tender.
Alternatively, fill a saucepan with peeled or unpeeled potatoes, add a due allowance of salt, fill with cold water, cook for about half an hour, drain all water, place a wet cloth over the top, and set the saucepan by the side of the fire.
Dress and serve
After boiling, dress the potatoes: for Potatoes a la Maitre d'Hotel, toss boiled potatoes in butter, add a squeeze of lemon and minced parsley.
For Potatoes sautées, toss boiled potatoes in butter until they begin to brown.
For Pommes de Terre a la Lyonnaise, fry onions in butter until they take color, then add sliced boiled potatoes and cook.
For a raw butter method, put raw potatoes in a saucepan with plenty of butter, toss until done, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| 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.
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Potato + parsleytop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,855 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potatoes
- Form the main body of the dish, becoming soft and fluffy when cooked through in water.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds richness and flavour, and browns on the potatoes when sautéed.
- Lemon (in the method)
- Adds acidity that brightens the buttery flavour of Maître d'Hôtel potatoes.
The step that matters
Keep the potatoes in the cold water until tender. Starting potatoes in cold water lets the outside and centre cook at a similar rate, so they cook evenly. Plunging them into boiling water can leave the outside mushy while the centre stays firm.
“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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