Why it works: Parsley and pepper 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 ↓
Buttered Eggs
Ingredients
Directions
Break the eggs into a saucepan.
Add the chopped parsley, mashed anchovy, essence of ham, warmed butter, and cayenne pepper, then beat the mixture together.
Place the saucepan over low heat and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until thickened.
Serve in a deep dish with fresh toast underneath.
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 + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Egg + anchovytop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,330 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Anchovy + buttertop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,697 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Parsley + anchovytop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,702 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
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Anchovy + hamtop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together256 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Coagulate as they heat, setting the mixture into a thick, spoonable texture.
- Fresh butter
- Adds richness and fat, giving the eggs a smooth, silky mouthfeel.
- Anchovy
- Contributes a salty, savoury depth that rounds out the eggs.
- Essence of ham
- Adds a concentrated smoky, meaty aroma and savoury flavour.
The step that matters
Stirring over low heat until thickened. Egg proteins set quickly at higher heat and can scramble or curdle. Gentle heat with constant stirring lets the mixture thicken evenly and stay smooth.
“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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