Why it works: Parsley and thyme match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,057 recipes. Both carry cuminaldehyde, which smells Spicy, cumin. The science ↓
Aspic Jelly
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the stock
Let the stock cool completely and remove all fat.
Clarify and simmer
In a stewpan, combine the stock, gelatine, herbs, celery, egg shell, and beaten egg white.
Whisk over medium heat until near boiling, then add sherry and vinegar if using.
Continue whisking until boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Strain the mixture until clear and use as required.
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 + thymetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,057 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
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Parsley + celerytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,810 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Thyme + celerytop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,193 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Wine + thymetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,349 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
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Sherry + thymetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together702 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Jellied veal stock
- Provides the main body and flavour of the aspic.
- Gelatine
- Sets the liquid into a firm, wobbly jelly once chilled.
- Egg white and shell
- Attracts impurities as it heats, so the strained aspic comes out clear.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavour and helps the aspic taste fresh.
The step that matters
Straining the mixture until clear. Any fat left in the stock or any egg fragments that remain will cloud the aspic. Cooling the stock fully and removing fat first, then straining carefully, gives a clear, glossy jelly.
Swap the celery
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (veal, sherry, vinegar, wine, egg, parsley, thyme):
- Tarragonfits better
- Marjoramfits better
- Sagefits better
- Celerythe original
Fit is the average pairing score against veal, sherry, vinegar, wine, egg, parsley, thyme. 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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