Why it works: Parsley and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,062 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Or Brill
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the fish
Clean the fish and gently remove the skin.
Cut the fillets off with a sharp knife.
Coat and bake
Dip the fillets in beaten eggs, then in breadcrumbs mixed with parsley and seasonings. Dip twice.
Place the fillets in a deep dish greased with butter.
Bake in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 20 minutes, basting with butter occasionally.
Make the lobster sauce
Prepare lobster sauce by stewing lobster meat in veal broth with cayenne, nutmeg, and salt for 10 minutes, then thicken with roux.
Serve
Serve the baked fillets on a hot dish and pour the lobster sauce over them.
Garnish with lemon slices and curled parsley.
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 + nutmegtop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,062 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Lobster + saucetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,095 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Fish + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,488 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Butter + saucetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together15,338 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Parsley + buttertop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together28,563 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
Butter and sauce barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 15,338 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Bind the breadcrumb coating to the fillets and help it set during baking.
- Breadcrumbs
- Form a crisp, golden coating that protects the delicate fish while it bakes.
- Butter
- Adds richness and moisture, and helps the fillets brown as they bake.
- Roux (in the method)
- Thickens the lobster sauce so it coats the fish instead of running off.
The step that matters
Baking the coated fillets. Fish is delicate and dries out quickly in an oven. Basting with butter adds moisture and fat, helping the fillets stay tender while the coating browns.
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (fish, egg, parsley, butter, lobster, sauce, veal):
- Capersfits better
- Tarragonfits better
- Nutmegthe original
- Thymefits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against fish, egg, parsley, butter, lobster, sauce, veal. 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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