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 ↓
Water Souchy
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the broth
Combine water, salt, peppercorns, parsley, and parsley roots in a pot.
Simmer until the parsley roots are tender, about 30–60 minutes.
Cook the fish
Clean the fish, removing any brown skin.
Cut the fish into 2‑inch portions.
Add the fish to the pot.
Skim off any scum that rises.
Cook the fish gently for 8–12 minutes, being careful not to overcook.
Add minced parsley or boiled parsley branches a couple of minutes before serving.
Serve
Lift out the fish and parsley roots carefully.
Pour the cooking liquid over the fish, discarding the peppercorns.
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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Fish + parsleytop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,341 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Fish + peppertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,948 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
- Fish
- Provides the main body of the soup and the flesh served in it.
- Parsley roots
- Flavour the broth with a mild, earthy aroma as they simmer.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the broth and firms the flesh of the fish.
- Minced parsley
- Adds fresh, green aroma just before serving.
The step that matters
Cooking the fish gently. Fish proteins toughen and turn dry when overcooked, and a gentle simmer cooks the flesh evenly while keeping it moist and tender.
“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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