Why it works: Parsley and pepper 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 ↓
Eggs with Cheese
Ingredients
Directions
Scramble the eggs in a pan over medium heat.
Stir in the grated cheese and chopped parsley.
Season with salt and red pepper to taste.
Cook until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted.
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 + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Cheese + peppertop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,861 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Egg + parsleytop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,765 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Cheese + parsleytop 25% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,507 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
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Egg + cheesetop 28% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,253 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Set into a soft structure as they cook, forming the body of the dish.
- Grated cheese
- Melts into the eggs, adding richness and a savoury flavour.
The step that matters
Cook until the eggs are set and the cheese is melted. Eggs continue to firm as they cool, so removing them while still glossy keeps them tender. Overcooking over medium heat squeezes out moisture and makes them dry and rubbery.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, cheese, pepper):
- Parsleythe original
- Dillfits about as well
- Thymefits about as well
- Nutmegfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, cheese, 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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