Why it works: Parsley and thyme match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,057 recipes. Both carry cuminaldehyde, which smells Spicy, cumin. The science ↓
Omelet
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the mixture
Break the eggs into a bowl and add parsley, thyme, shallot, pepper, and salt.
Beat the mixture for 5-6 minutes.
Stir in the cream and cold butter.
Cook and serve
Melt butter in an omelet pan over medium heat.
Pour in the egg mixture and stir until it begins to set.
Shape the omelet according to your dish and turn it out onto a plate.
Serve with sauce around the edge if desired.
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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Parsley + thymetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,057 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
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Parsley + shallottop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,737 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Thyme + shallottop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,476 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Thyme + peppertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,585 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Set into a delicate structure that gives the omelet its body as they cook.
- Cream
- Adds moisture and richness, keeping the eggs tender rather than dry.
- Cold butter
- Adds richness and fat, and stirred in cold it helps keep the omelet soft.
- Shallot
- Adds a mild onion-like aroma and savoriness to the eggs.
The step that matters
Pour in the egg mixture and stir until it begins to set. Eggs turn firm and rubbery when overcooked, so stirring gently over medium heat and stopping while the eggs are still slightly moist keeps the omelet tender.
Swap the shallot
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, parsley, thyme, pepper, cream, butter):
- Shallotthe original
- Leekfits about as well
- Potatofits about as well
- Chivefits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, parsley, thyme, pepper, cream, butter. 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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