Why it works: Parsley and capers match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,550 recipes. Both carry coumarin, which smells sweet, hay. The science ↓
Stuffing for Fish
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the stuffing
In a bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, salt, pepper, parsley, onion juice, melted butter, and pickles or capers.
If the mixture is too dry, add a little hot water to moisten.
If desired, add an egg to the mixture for binding.
Stuff and shape the fish
Stuff the fish with the mixture and sew it up.
Place the fish upright in a baking pan.
If it is broad and short, prop it up; if not, skewer it in the shape of an 'S' to maintain its shape while cooking.
Before baking, make three or four gashes across the back and insert slices of salt pork into each.
Bake and serve
Bake the fish until done, then transfer it to a hot platter.
Pour a sauce around the fish and place a slice of lemon in its mouth.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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 + caperstop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,550 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
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Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Onion + caperstop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,381 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
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Parsley + oniontop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together25,843 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Pepper + oniontop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cracker crumbs
- Form the bulk of the stuffing and soak up the butter to hold it together.
- Melted butter
- Adds moisture and richness, helping the stuffing stay tender and flavourful while baking.
- Egg
- Binds the stuffing so it holds together when the fish is sliced or served.
- Pickles or capers
- Add a sharp, acidic bite that cuts through the richness of the butter and fish.
- Salt pork
- Renders fat into the fish as it bakes, adding moisture and savoury flavour.
The step that matters
Keeping the stuffed fish in shape. Stuffing expands and the fish softens as it cooks, so propping or skewering it stops it from splitting or collapsing. Starting with the right moisture also matters: the crumbs must absorb liquid without turning soggy.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, parsley, butter, capers, egg):
- Shallotfits better
- Chivefits better
- Spinachfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, parsley, butter, capers, 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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