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 ↓
Salmon Scallops
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Chop the salmon finely.
Mix the butter, pepper, salt, and parsley into the salmon.
Stir the mixture into the hot drawn butter.
Butter scallop shells or small baking dishes.
Fill and bake
Fill the shells with the salmon mixture and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven for a few minutes until lightly browned.
Serve in the shells.
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).
-
Butter + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Egg + breadtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together22,662 recipes
Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
-
Butter + parsleytop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together28,563 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
-
Bread + parsleytop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,588 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Salmon
- Forms the main body of the filling and firms as it heats through.
- Drawn butter
- Adds fat and richness, keeping the salmon moist and flavourful.
- Bread crumbs
- Forms a topping that browns in the oven and adds a light crisp texture.
The step that matters
Bake until lightly browned. The salmon is already cooked, so the bake mainly heats it through and browns the crumbs. Overbaking tightens the proteins and dries the filling, so watch it closely and stop once it is lightly browned.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (salmon, egg, butter, bread, pepper):
- Parsleythe original
- Capersfits about as well
- Nutmegfits about as well
- Tarragonfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against salmon, egg, butter, bread, 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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