Why it works: Parsley and pepper 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 ↓
Rice Croquettes
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare
In a bowl, mix cooked rice, egg, cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper until well combined.
Shape the mixture into small patties or croquettes.
Coat each croquette in breadcrumbs.
Fry and serve
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
Fry the croquettes until golden brown on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Drain on paper towels before serving.
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 + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Rice + parsleytop 10% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,762 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Rice + peppertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,379 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Rice + cheesetop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together942 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Cheese + peppertop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,861 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
- Cooked rice
- Forms the bulk of the croquettes and gives them a soft, tender interior.
- Egg
- Binds the mixture so the croquettes hold their shape when shaped and fried.
- Cheese
- Adds savoury flavour and helps bind the mixture together.
- Breadcrumbs
- Form a crisp, golden coating that browns during frying.
The step that matters
Coat and fry at the right heat. Breadcrumb coatings brown quickly in hot oil, so medium heat lets the croquettes turn golden and cook through without burning the outside before the centre is hot.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rice, egg, cheese, pepper):
- Turmericfits about as well
- Parsleythe original
- Nutmegfits about as well
- Dillfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against rice, egg, cheese, pepper. 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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