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 ↓
Potato Croquettes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the potatoes
Peel the potatoes and place them in boiling salted water.
Cook until tender, then mash finely.
Shape the croquettes
Mix in the butter, salt, and pepper, then add ⅔ of the beaten egg yolks.
Beat the mixture until light and pass it through a sieve.
Once cool, shape the mixture into balls.
Dip each ball in bread crumbs, then in the remaining egg yolk, and again in bread crumbs.
Fry and serve
Fry in hot oil until golden brown.
Drain on paper towels and garnish with chopped parsley 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.
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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Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Potato + parsleytop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,855 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Butter + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Potato + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,305 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Potato + buttertop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,456 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potatoes
- Form the soft, starchy body that holds the croquette together.
- Egg yolks
- Add richness and help bind the mixture so it holds its shape.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richness and a smoother, softer texture in the mash.
The step that matters
Fry in hot oil until golden brown. If the oil is not hot enough, the coating absorbs oil and turns greasy instead of crisp, while the centre may stay cool. Hot oil quickly sets and browns the breadcrumb crust, sealing in the filling.
“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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