Why it works: Pepper and parsley 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 ↓
Baked Salmon with Cream Sauce
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
Butter a sheet of parchment paper on both sides and wrap the salmon in it, pinning the ends securely.
Place the wrapped fish in a baking pan and pour 6-7 tablespoons of melted butter and water over it.
Cover with another pan and steam in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 45-60 minutes, basting occasionally.
Make the sauce
Heat 1 cup of cream in a double boiler.
Dissolve a small piece of baking soda in the cream.
Thicken the cream with the cornflour.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter, pepper, salt, and parsley to the sauce.
Serve
Unwrap the cooked fish.
Pour half of the sauce over the fish.
Serve the remaining sauce in a separate dish.
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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Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Salmon + creamtop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,401 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
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Butter + parsleytop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together28,563 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-hexenal (green, leafy).
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Salmon + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,481 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Salmon
- Forms the main protein that cooks gently in its own steam and butter.
- Butter
- Adds richness and moisture, carrying flavour through the steaming fish and the sauce.
- Cream
- Forms the body of the sauce and gives it a smooth, rich texture.
- Cornflour
- Thickens the cream into a glossy sauce as it heats and starch swells.
- Baking soda (in the method)
- Raises the pH of the cream, which can help keep it smooth when heated.
The step that matters
Thicken the cream with the cornflour. Cornflour must be heated in liquid for its starch to swell and set. Adding it to cold or boiling cream can cause lumps, so stir steadily while the sauce warms gently in the double boiler.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (salmon, butter, cream, pepper):
- Nutmegfits about as well
- Parsleythe original
- Tarragonfits about as well
- Capersfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against salmon, butter, cream, 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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