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 ↓
Marinade Stocky Cooked
Ingredients
Directions
Make the stock
In a large pot, combine the onion, parsley roots, vinegar, fresh water, thyme, bay leaves, whole peppers, and cloves.
Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a stone jar and let it cool.
Store
Store in a cool place for general use.
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).
-
Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Thyme + clovetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together4,108 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
-
Thyme + peppertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,585 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Vinegar
- Provides acidity that flavours the marinade and helps tenderise food soaked in it.
- Onion
- Adds aromatic sweetness and savoury depth to the liquid.
- Bay leaves
- Contribute a subtle aromatic, herbal flavour to the stock.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (parsley, vinegar, thyme, pepper, clove):
- Shallotfits better
- Carrotfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against parsley, vinegar, thyme, pepper, clove. 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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