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 ↓
Veal Cake
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut off all the brown outside from the veal.
Slice the hard boiled eggs.
Layer and bake
In a pretty mold, layer veal, ham, eggs, and parsley, adding a little pepper between each layer.
When the mold is full, fill it with strong stock.
Bake for 30 minutes, then let it cool before turning it out.
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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Veal + hamtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,264 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Ham + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,526 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Veal + parsleytop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,766 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Veal + peppertop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,049 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cold roast veal
- Forms the main body of the cake, giving it a meaty texture and substance.
- Cold ham
- Adds savory flavor and a contrasting texture between the veal layers.
- Hard boiled eggs
- Provide firm, sliced layers that hold their shape and add richness.
- Gravy or stock
- Adds moisture and savory flavor, helping the cake set as it cools.
The step that matters
Filling the mold with stock. The stock must be strong and fill the gaps between the layers so the cake holds together and sets firmly when cooled. Too little liquid leaves air pockets and a crumbly slice.
“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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