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 ↓
To Bake Turbot
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderately hot oven”. The 350°F in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the fish
Fillet the turbot and cut the fillets into pieces about three inches long.
Wash and dry each piece, then dip them into a beaten egg.
Coat the pieces in a mixture of bread crumbs, parsley, pepper, and salt.
Bake and serve
Place the coated pieces in a well-buttered dish, adding a piece of butter on each fillet.
Bake in a moderate oven (350°F / 175°C) for about 30 minutes, basting frequently.
Once cooked, transfer the pieces to a hot dish.
Pour the ketchup and vinegar into the baking dish, season, and boil the sauce.
Pour the sauce around the fillets and serve hot.
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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Turbot + ketchuptop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together11 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Butter + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Egg + breadtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together22,662 recipes
Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
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Pepper + vinegartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Turbot
- Forms the flaky white fish that is the main body of the dish.
- Butter
- Adds richness and moisture, keeping the fish from drying as it bakes.
- Egg
- Acts as a binder so the bread crumb coating sticks to the fish.
- Bread crumbs
- Forms a crisp coating that helps the fish brown and hold its shape.
- Ketchup
- Provides sweetness and tomato flavour to the sauce.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that sharpens the flavour of the sauce.
The step that matters
Boiling the sauce after adding ketchup and vinegar. Boiling reduces the sauce and concentrates its flavour, and the acid and sugars can scorch if left unattended in the hot dish. Stir and watch it closely so it thickens without burning.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (turbot, butter, pepper, egg, vinegar, bread, ketchup):
- Parsleythe original
- Capersfits about as well
- Tarragonfits less well
- Nutmegfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against turbot, butter, pepper, egg, vinegar, bread, ketchup. 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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