Why it works: Parsley and tarragon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,563 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Omelets
Ingredients
Directions
Beat the eggs lightly in a bowl and add a little coarse sea salt.
If using vegetables, chop them small and mix them with the eggs.
Heat good quality butter or oil in a pan until hot.
Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook until set, then serve immediately.
For a cold option, serve the omelet as a sandwich with buttered bread and a little mustard.
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 + tarragontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,563 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Leek + parsleytop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together759 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
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Leek + tarragontop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together51 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
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Butter + parsleytop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together28,563 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
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Butter + leektop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together848 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
Swap the leek
The recipe marks leek as optional. How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, butter, parsley, tarragon):
- Shallotfits better
- Chivefits better
- Asparagusfits about as well
- Leekthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, butter, parsley, tarragon. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
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