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 ↓
Browned Hash
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a bowl.
Cook
Heat an omelet pan and add the fat.
Spread the mixture evenly in the pan.
Reduce the heat.
Cook slowly until the mixture browns evenly.
Fold the mixture like an omelet.
Serve
Garnish with parsley.
Serve with tomato ketchup or hot tomato sauce.
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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Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + parsleytop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,855 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Potato + tomatotop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,798 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Pepper + tomatotop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together17,923 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mashed potatoes
- Provides the bulk and starch that hold the hash together and crisp when browned.
- Egg
- Binds the mixture so it holds together when folded and cooked.
- Cooked meat
- Supplies the savory, meaty flavor and substance of the hash.
The step that matters
Cook slowly over reduced heat until evenly browned. Low, gentle heat lets the bottom set and brown evenly without scorching before the mixture is firm enough to fold. High heat would burn the surface while the centre stays soft and loose.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (meat, potato, pepper, parsley, egg, tomato):
- Capsicumfits better
- Carrotfits better
- Spinachfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against meat, potato, pepper, parsley, egg, tomato. 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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