Name: Finnan Haddie
Ingredients: thick and heavy fish; cold water; rich white sauce; parsley for garnish

Why it works: Fish and parsley are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,341 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓

Finnan Haddie

Oven, in the book's wordsA hot oven

Ingredients

thick and heavy fish
cold water
rich white sauce
parsley for garnish

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.

Soak the fish in cold water for 1 hour, then drain.
To remove the skin, place the fish skin side up in a pan and heat in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 10 to 15 minutes, then lift out and remove the skin.
Alternatively, place the fish in a pan, cover with boiling water, and keep just below boiling point for 10 minutes, then drain and remove the skin.
Place the fish on a hot platter, pour over the rich white sauce, and garnish with parsley.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

Fish + parsleytop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together2,341 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Fish + saucetop 20% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together1,487 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Sauce + parsleytop 23% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together6,693 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).