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 ↓
Potato Puffs
Ingredients
Directions
Make the potato balls
Prepare the potatoes as directed for mashed potato.
While hot, shape the potatoes into balls about the size of an egg.
Butter a tin sheet well, and place the balls on it.
Brush the balls with beaten egg.
Brown the balls in the oven.
Serve the balls
When done, slip a knife under the balls and slide them onto a hot platter.
Garnish the balls with parsley and serve immediately.
Make the sauce
Heat a cupful of milk.
Stir in a heaping tablespoonful of butter cut into small pieces and flour.
Stir until the mixture is smooth and thick.
Add pepper and salt.
Add two cupfuls of cold boiled potatoes, sliced, and a little very finely chopped parsley.
Shake the mixture over the fire until the potatoes are hot all through.
Pour the mixture into a deep dish.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 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).
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Potato + parsleytop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,855 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Potato + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,305 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + milktop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,611 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, melon).
-
Milk + peppertop 22% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together26,984 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potatoes
- Form the body of the balls and the starchy bulk of the sauce.
- Milk
- Provides the liquid base that thickens into a smooth sauce.
The step that matters
Stir the sauce until smooth and thick. Flour must be stirred into the hot milk so its starch swells evenly; stopping early leaves lumps and a thin, floury texture.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, milk, pepper):
- Dillfits about as well
- Parsleythe original
- Thymefits about as well
- Rosemaryfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against potato, milk, 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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