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 ↓
Aubergines with Poached Eggs
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the aubergines
Cut the aubergines in half lengthways and remove the seeds.
Cook the aubergines in salted water until tender, then drain on a sieve.
Make the filling
Mix the tomato pulp, bread crumbs, and chopped ham with the butter in a pan and warm until slightly reduced.
Season the mixture with pepper and salt, then fill the cavities of the aubergines with it.
Bake and serve
Place the stuffed aubergines on a dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 5 minutes.
Carefully place one poached egg on each half, garnish with parsley, and serve hot.
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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Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Bread + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Tomato + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Bread + hamtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,536 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (popcorn, roasted).
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Tomato + parsleytop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,398 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
- Aubergines
- Form the edible shell that holds the filling and softens when cooked.
- Tomato pulp
- Adds moisture and acidity to the filling, keeping the stuffing from drying out.
- Bread crumbs
- Absorb the tomato juices and butter, giving the filling body and a soft texture.
- Chopped ham
- Adds savoury, salty flavour and richness to the filling.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richness and helps the filling warm and bind together.
- Eggs
- Provide protein that sets when poached, adding richness and a soft, creamy topping.
The step that matters
Carefully place one poached egg on each half. The poached egg has a delicate, runny yolk and tender white that can break or slide off if handled roughly. Lowering it gently onto the warm aubergine keeps it intact and its yolk runny when served.
Swap the tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (bread, ham, butter, pepper, parsley, egg):
- Shallotfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Asparagusfits better
- Tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against bread, ham, butter, pepper, parsley, egg. 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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