Why it works: Fish and bread are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,668 recipes. Both carry 2-undecenal, which smells sweet. The science ↓
Fried Fish
Ingredients
Directions
Heat fat in a frying pan to 350°F (175°C).
Test the heat by placing a piece of bread in the fat; it should brown in less than a minute.
Add the fish to the hot fat and fry for about five minutes, turning until both sides are golden brown.
To finish cooking, either hang the frying pan over the fire or place it on the oven-top to cook gradually.
Check if the fish is done by lifting the flesh with a knife; it should easily separate from the bone.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Fish + breadtop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,668 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
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