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 ↓
Macaroni and Poached Eggs
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare and cook the macaroni
Break the macaroni into short lengths and rinse in water.
Place the macaroni in a fireproof dish or sauté pan in the oven.
Add the butter and enough milk to cover the macaroni.
Stir occasionally as the macaroni swells while cooking.
Season and add the sauce
When nearly done, season with salt, pepper, and grated Parmesan cheese.
Transfer to a serving dish and add the brown sauce.
Return to the oven until fully cooked.
Poach, garnish and serve
Poach the eggs and lay them carefully on top.
Garnish with parsley and serve.
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).
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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Butter + parmesan cheesetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,163 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Pepper + parmesan cheesetop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,322 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
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Butter + saucetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together15,338 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Butter and sauce barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 15,338 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Macaroni
- Forms the starchy base that swells and absorbs the milk and butter as it cooks.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richness and a smooth, rounded mouthfeel.
- Milk
- Provides liquid that softens the macaroni as it cooks and swells.
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Adds savory, salty depth and helps the dish taste rounded.
- Brown sauce
- Adds savory flavor and moisture to the macaroni in the serving dish.
- Eggs
- Add richness, and their proteins set when poached, giving a soft, creamy topping.
The step that matters
Poaching the eggs and placing them on top. Egg whites set with gentle heat, while the yolk stays runny. Poaching in barely simmering water and lifting out carefully keeps the whites tidy and the yolks intact on the macaroni.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, milk, pepper, parmesan cheese, sauce, egg):
- Parsleythe original
- Nutmegfits about as well
- Capersfits about as well
- Tarragonfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, milk, pepper, parmesan cheese, sauce, 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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