Name: Anchovy Toast
Ingredients: 4 boned anchovies; 4 pieces of toast; Finely chopped parsley; 1 hard-boiled egg; Dried lobster coral

Why it works: Parsley and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 18,765 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓

Anchovy Toast

Ingredients

Directions

Place the boned anchovies on the toast.
Sprinkle finely chopped parsley over the anchovies.
Chop the hard-boiled egg and sprinkle it on top.
Finish with a dusting of dried lobster coral.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

Parsley + eggtop 21% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together18,765 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Parsley + lobstertop 24% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together890 recipes

Shared aroma: octanal (fat, soap).
Egg + lobstertop 28% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,484 recipes

Shared aroma: octanal (fat, soap).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Boned anchovies: Provide the salty, savoury flavour that is the core of the topping.
Hard-boiled egg: Adds richness and a soft, creamy texture against the crisp toast.
Dried lobster coral: Adds a concentrated seafood aroma and a fine, savoury dusting.