Name: Pan-Seared Salmon with Pumpkin Seed-Cilantro Pesto
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Ingredients: 2 1/2 teaspoons plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided; 1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas); 1/2 cup (firmly packed) cilantro leaves and stems; 1/2 teaspoon cracked coriander seeds; 1/2 garlic clove, coarsely chopped; 1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lime juice; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 4 6-ounce salmon fillets (preferably wild); 1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Why it works: Coriander and lime match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,536 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓

Pan-Seared Salmon with Pumpkin Seed-Cilantro Pesto

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 1/2 teaspoons plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 cup shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1/2 cup (firmly packed) cilantro leaves and stems
1/2 teaspoon cracked coriander seeds
1/2 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon (or more) fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 6-ounce salmon fillets (preferably wild)
1 lime, cut into 4 wedges

Directions

Step-by-step directions aren't available for this recipe. See the full recipe at the source →

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

356Calories

21 gProtein

27 gFat

8 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 12 ingredients. The other 4 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Salmon	100g cooked	208
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Lime	juice of 1 lime (44ml)	11
Clove	1 tsp ground (2g)	7
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Garlic	1 clove (3g)	4
Cilantro	1 tbsp chopped fresh (1g)	1
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Pumpkin	not in our table	0
Seed	not in our table	0
Pepita	not in our table	0
Coriander	not in our table	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

By epicurious. Recipe from Open Recipes.

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.

Coriander + limetop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,536 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Lime + peppertop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,491 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Olive + garlictop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together25,665 recipes

Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
Coriander + garlictop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together6,474 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together17,451 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

Swap the pumpkin

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, coriander, garlic, clove, lime, pepper, salmon):

Avocadofits better
Lemonfits better
Mangofits better
Pumpkinthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against olive, coriander, garlic, clove, lime, pepper, salmon. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

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