Why it works: Parsley and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and 34,122 recipes mention both. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Piquant Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
In a clean quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the vinegar and chopped eschalots, stirring until the vinegar reduces and the butter is clear.
Stir in the flour and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Pour in the broth or stock, seasoning with pepper and salt to taste.
Bring to a boil, then skim off any foam.
Reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Add the parsley and gherkins, bringing back to a boil.
Skim again if necessary, and adjust seasoning as 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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Parsley + flourtop 12% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together16,675 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Vinegar + peppertop 14% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Butter + parsleytop 15% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together28,563 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
Butter and flour share little aroma chemistry, yet 124,287 recipes mention both: they likely 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
- Butter
- Melts to form the fat base that carries the sauce's flavour.
- Flour
- Thickens the liquid into a smooth sauce as it cooks with the butter.
- Broth or stock
- Forms the main liquid of the sauce and carries its savoury flavour.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that gives the sauce its sharp, piquant character.
- Eschalots
- Contribute mild onion-like sweetness and aroma as they soften in the butter.
The step that matters
Stir in the flour and cook for 4-5 minutes. Flour must cook in the hot butter long enough to lose its raw, pasty taste and to thicken evenly. Stopping early leaves a floury flavour, while lumps can form if it is not stirred well.
Flavor stand-ins for the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, vinegar, pepper, flour):
- Tarragonabout as good a flavor fit
- Parsleythe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, vinegar, pepper, flour. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).
“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.
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.