Why it works: Parsley and lemon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,037 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Turbot to Boil
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Clean and wash the turbot, cutting it across the thickest part of the underside to prevent it from breaking.
Place the fish in a fish kettle with the white side up and sprinkle with salt.
Boil
Cover with cold spring water and bring to a boil over high heat.
Skim the surface carefully, then reduce heat to simmer for about 20 minutes for an 8-9 pound fish.
For larger fish (16-18 pounds), boil for about 1 hour.
Serve
Serve on a fish drainer, garnished with parsley, lemon slices, and horseradish.
If desired, surround with fried smelts and serve with lobster sauce.
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.
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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Parsley + lemontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,037 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Turbot + saucetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together248 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Smelt + saucetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together103 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Turbot + smelttop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together26 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Turbot + lobstertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together163 recipes
Shared aroma: octanal (fat, soap).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Turbot
- Is the main fish whose firm white flesh sets and flakes when gently poached.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the fish directly and helps firm its flesh before poaching.
The step that matters
Skimming and keeping the simmer gentle. Once the water reaches a boil, a rolling boil breaks the fish apart and clouds the liquid. Skimming foam and holding a gentle simmer keeps the flesh intact and the poaching liquid clear.
“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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