Fish Soup

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.

1. Carrot + oniontop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together21,601 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

2. Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together81,283 recipes

   Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).

3. Cream + buttertop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together41,516 recipes

   Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

4. Fish + buttertop 12% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together4,488 recipes

   Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).

5. Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together124,287 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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

White fish

Provides the main flavor and body of the soup as it simmers into the stock.

Butter and flour

Form a roux that thickens the milk and stock into a smooth soup.

Egg yolks

Enrich and thicken the soup, giving it a silky texture when heated gently.

Cream

Adds richness and fat, softening the soup's flavor and mouthfeel.

Milk

Adds body and mild sweetness, blending with the stock into a creamy base.

Lemon juice

Adds acidity that brightens the flavor of the rich soup.

The step that matters

Swap the carrot

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (fish, milk, cream, butter, flour, egg, onion):

1. Potatofits better
2. Leekfits better
3. Chivefits better
4. Carrotthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against fish, milk, cream, butter, flour, egg, onion. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.