Why it works: Lemon and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,037 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Deviled Lobster
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 filling
Chop the lobster very fine and season it with lemon juice, paprika, chopped celery, pickles, and salt.
Mix the lobster with white sauce, using half as much sauce as lobster meat.
Fill and bake
Fill the lobster shells with the mixture, placing them meat side up in a pan.
Cover the tops with buttered crumbs.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
Serve
Place two tails together lengthwise, crumbs side up, and garnish with claws and parsley or watercress.
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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Lemon + parsleytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,037 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Celery + parsleytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,810 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Lemon + celerytop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,467 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Lobster + saucetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,095 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Sauce + parsleytop 23% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together6,693 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Lobster
- Provides the main meaty filling that carries the dish.
- White sauce
- Binds the chopped lobster and keeps the filling moist during baking.
- Buttered crumbs
- Toasts in the oven to form a golden, crisp topping.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the rich lobster and sauce.
The step that matters
Baking the stuffed shells. Baking only until the filling is heated and the crumbs are golden keeps the lobster tender. Overbaking dries and toughens the delicate meat, so watch the timing closely.
“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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