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 ↓
Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the potatoes
Peel the potatoes and soak them in cold water if possible.
Steam the potatoes over boiling water until tender.
Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and mash until very smooth.
Add butter, milk or cream, and season with salt and pepper.
Crust and serve
Smooth the mashed potatoes in a serving dish and butter the top.
Place the dish in a 400°F (200°C) oven until the top is crusted.
For an alternative crust, place the mashed potatoes in a tin mold on a piece of sheet iron.
Brush the top with a beaten egg and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Fry in hot lard until perfectly browned, then transfer to a platter.
Garnish with curled parsley leaves.
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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Potato + parsleytop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,855 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Butter + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Potato + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,305 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potatoes
- Form the bulk of the dish, mashing into a smooth, soft body.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat, giving the mash a smoother, silkier texture.
- Milk or cream
- Adds moisture so the mashed potatoes become smooth and spreadable.
- 1 beaten egg
- Sets and binds the crust, and helps the top brown when brushed on.
- Finely grated bread crumbs
- Form a crisp, browned crust on the outside of the mash.
The step that matters
Mash until very smooth. Overworked or lumpy potatoes turn gluey or stay grainy; starch cells must be fully broken down while hot, and the potatoes should be drained of excess water first so the mash stays creamy rather than watery.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, butter, milk, pepper, egg, bread):
- Parsleythe original
- Nutmegfits about as well
- Cinnamonfits less well
- Thymefits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against potato, butter, milk, pepper, egg, bread. 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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