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 ↓
Sophie Fisher, Philadelphia, Pa
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the dumplings
Chop the calf's liver very finely.
Chop ½ lb. of beef suet very finely.
Mix the liver, suet, ½ lb. flour, 2 minced onions, a handful of bread crumbs, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, sweet marjoram, a few blades of mace, a few powdered cloves, a little pepper, and salt together.
Wet the mixture with well-beaten eggs.
Form the mixture into dumplings using well-floured hands.
Cook and serve
Boil the dumplings in a large pot of boiling water for an hour.
Brown breadcrumbs in butter.
Pour the browned breadcrumbs over the dumplings before serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| 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).
-
Parsley + breadtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,588 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Bread + oniontop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,676 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
- Calf's liver (in the method)
- Forms the main body of the dumplings and gives them their rich, savory flavour.
- Beef suet (in the method)
- Adds fat that keeps the dumplings moist and tender as they cook.
- Flour (in the method)
- Binds the mixture so the dumplings hold their shape while boiling.
- Eggs (in the method)
- Bind the mixture together and help the dumplings set as they cook.
- Bread crumbs
- Absorb moisture and add body to the dumpling mixture.
- Butter-browned breadcrumbs (in the method)
- Add toasty, nutty browning and a crisp contrast to the soft dumplings.
The step that matters
Form the mixture into dumplings using well-floured hands. The mixture is wet from the beaten eggs and sticky, so flour on the hands keeps it from clinging and lets the dumplings keep their shape in the boiling water.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (parsley, bread):
- Shallotfits better
- Carrotfits better
- Leekfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against parsley, bread. 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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