Why it works: Lemon and thyme match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,973 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Grilled Crab
Ingredients
Directions
Make the garlic-lemon butter
Melt butter.
Mix with garlic, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Cook 4‑5 minutes over low heat.
Remove from heat and stir in herbs.
Grill the crab
Grill crab, turning and basting with garlic‑lemon butter for 3‑4 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Shrimp | 100g cooked | 99 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Thyme | 1 tsp dried (1.4g) | 4 |
| Chive | 1 tbsp (3g) | 1 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
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.
-
Lemon + thymetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,973 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Clove + thymetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together4,108 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
-
Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together27,047 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Pepper + thymetop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,585 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Garlic + thymetop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,608 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
- Crab
- Is the main protein, cooked by grilling until heated through.
- Butter
- Carries the flavour and adds richness, and basting keeps the crab moist.
- Garlic
- Adds aroma and pungent flavour to the basting butter.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the rich butter.
The step that matters
Basting the crab while grilling. Butter that is not kept on the crab can burn or dry out the meat, so turning and basting keeps the surface moist and the butter from scorching over the heat.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (crab, garlic, lemon, butter, sauce, pepper, thyme):
- Parsleyfits better
- Marjoramfits better
- Tarragonfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against crab, garlic, lemon, butter, sauce, pepper, thyme. 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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