Why it works: Egg and potato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 29% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,978 recipes. Both carry (e)-2-octenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Cold Bacon and Eggs
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the mixture
Chop the leftover bacon and eggs finely in a wooden bowl.
Add mashed or cold chopped potato and bacon gravy, if available.
Mix the ingredients and mold them into small balls.
Coat and fry
Roll the balls in raw egg.
Roll the balls in cracker crumbs.
Fry in a skillet until golden brown on both sides.
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.
-
Egg + potatotop 29% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,978 recipes
Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Leftover eggs
- Bind the chopped mixture together and add richness to the filling.
- Mashed or cold chopped potato
- Adds body and moisture so the balls hold their shape.
- Raw egg
- Forms a sticky coating that helps the cracker crumbs adhere.
- Cracker crumbs
- Creates a crisp outer crust that browns when fried.
- Leftover bacon
- Supplies salty, savory flavor and fat that adds richness.
The step that matters
Fry in a skillet until golden brown on both sides. Frying over steady heat sets the egg coating and browns the crumbs, forming a crust. Too high heat can scorch the outside before the centre heats through, so turn the balls gently and keep the heat moderate.
“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.
You might also like
The free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.
Potato Croquettes255 recipes
Potato Rolls78 recipes
Potato Chips53 recipes
Sweet Potato Croquettes53 recipes