Why it works: Endive and shallot share more aroma than cooks usually use. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 30 recipes. Both carry 1-octen-3-ol, which smells mushroom, earthy. The science ↓
Belgian Endive with Salmon Dip
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Wash the endive and pat dry.
Trim root ends and separate leaves.
Make the dip
Combine the yogurt, celery, shallots, pimiento, dill, and lemon peel.
Gently stir in the salmon.
Season to taste with hot pepper sauce.
Serve
Mound mixture in a shallow bowl and tuck the endive leaves around the edges.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 9 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Salmon | 100g cooked | 208 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Celery | 1 stalk (40g) | 6 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| Endive | not in our table | 0 |
| Sauce | 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.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
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.
-
Endive + shallottop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together30 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
-
Dill + lemontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together976 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Celery + dilltop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together382 recipes
Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
-
Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together27,047 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Celery + lemontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,467 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Yogurt
- Provides a creamy, tangy base that holds the dip together and moistens the salmon.
- Cooked salmon
- Supplies the main body and flavor of the dip, flaked so it blends into the creamy base.
- Belgian endive
- Acts as a crisp, edible scoop that holds the dip without wilting.
- Shallots
- Adds a mild, sharp onion flavor that cuts through the richness of the salmon.
- Fresh dill
- Contributes a bright, herbal aroma that complements the fish.
The step that matters
Gently stir in the salmon. Overmixing breaks the flaked salmon into a paste and releases its moisture, making the dip soft and mushy. Folding keeps the pieces intact and the texture pleasantly flaky.
Swap the endive
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (yogurt, celery, shallot, dill, lemon, salmon, pepper):
- Chivefits better
- Horseradishfits better
- Cucumberfits better
- Endivethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against yogurt, celery, shallot, dill, lemon, salmon, 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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