Why it works: Potato and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,305 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Fish Balls
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the potatoes and fish
Shred the salt codfish finely and remove any bones.
Peel the potatoes and place them in a large stew pan.
Sprinkle the shredded fish over the potatoes and cover with boiling water.
Cook on the stove for 30 minutes, then drain all the water.
Make the balls
Mash the fish and potatoes until fine and light.
Add the butter, salt, pepper, and beaten egg; mix well.
Beat the mixture for 3 minutes, then shape into smooth balls about the size of a small egg.
Fry
Heat Cottolene in a frying basket until it smokes, then fry the balls until brown, about 5 minutes.
If not using a frying basket, drop the balls into the hot fat and remove with a fork when browned.
Do not crowd the frying basket; fry 6 to 8 balls at a time.
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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Potato + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,305 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Fish + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,488 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Potato + buttertop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,456 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Fish + potatotop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together134 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, melon).
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Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Salt fish
- Supplies the savoury, salty flavour that defines the balls.
- Potatoes
- Provide starch and bulk, giving the mash a light, soft body.
- Egg
- Binds the mashed mixture so the balls hold their shape.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richness and a softer, more tender texture.
The step that matters
Do not crowd the frying basket. Adding too many balls drops the fat temperature, so they absorb oil and turn greasy instead of browning crisply.
Swap the potato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (fish, egg, butter, pepper):
- Capsicumfits about as well
- Asparagusfits about as well
- Potatothe original
- Chivefits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against fish, egg, butter, 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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