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 ↓
Potato Croquettes
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the mixture
Let the mashed potatoes cool, then add the seasonings and one egg.
Mix well; if the mixture is too stiff, add the remaining egg.
Shape the mixture into balls, cones, pyramids, or any desired shape.
Coat and fry
Dip in egg wash and coat with breadcrumbs.
Fry in deep hot oil until golden brown.
Drain on paper towels, arrange on a serving dish, garnish as desired, and serve hot.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Parsley + nutmegtop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,062 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Potato + parsleytop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,855 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Pepper + nutmegtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together13,015 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Potato + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,052 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mashed potatoes
- Form the bulk of the croquettes and give a soft, tender interior.
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture so it holds its shape, and form the egg wash that helps breadcrumbs stick.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat, giving a softer, more flavorful interior.
The step that matters
Frying in deep hot oil. If the oil is not hot enough, the croquettes absorb oil and turn greasy before the crust sets. Hot oil quickly seals the breadcrumb coating and browns it, keeping the inside creamy.
Swap the potato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, pepper, parsley, nutmeg, egg):
- Shallotfits better
- Spinachfits about as well
- Carrotfits about as well
- Potatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, pepper, parsley, nutmeg, egg. 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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