Name: Hail, Caesar! Grilled Catfish
Ingredients: 4 U. S. Farm-Raised Catfish fillets (4 to 6 ounces each); 3 tablespoons dried basil; 3 tablespoons dried oregano; 3 tablespoons garlic salt; 3 tablespoons lemon pepper; 4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (such as Kraft); olive oil spray

Why it works: Basil and oregano match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,390 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓

Hail, Caesar! Grilled Catfish

Time3 1/2 to 4 minutes per side

Ingredients

4 U. S. Farm-Raised Catfish fillets (4 to 6 ounces each)
3 tablespoons dried basil
3 tablespoons dried oregano
3 tablespoons garlic salt
3 tablespoons lemon pepper
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (such as Kraft)
olive oil spray

Directions

Prepare the rub

Prepare the Caesar Rub by mixing spices and Parmesan cheese in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Store the blend in a dark cupboard, away from heat, where it will keep for two to three months.

Grill the catfish

Preheat grill to high heat.
Sprinkle 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of the blend on a lightly oiled fillet.
Grill or broil over high heat for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes per side, or until the fish begins to flake when tested with a fork in the thickest part.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

253Calories

11 gProtein

21 gFat

7 gCarbs

Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 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
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Parmesan Cheese	1 oz (28g)	110
Lemon	juice of 1 lemon (48ml)	12
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Oregano	1 tsp dried (1.8g)	5
Basil	5 leaves fresh (2.5g)	1
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0
Catfish	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.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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.

Basil + oreganotop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,390 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Basil + lemontop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,823 recipes

Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Oregano + garlictop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together3,756 recipes

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

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together25,665 recipes

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

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together784 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

Catfish fillets: The main protein, which firms and flakes as it cooks through over high heat.
Parmesan cheese: Adds savory, salty flavor and helps the rub brown slightly on the fish surface.
Dried basil: Adds herbal aroma to the rub that carries into the fish.
Dried oregano: Adds earthy, aromatic flavor to the rub.

Swap the lemon

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (catfish, basil, oregano, garlic, pepper, parmesan cheese, olive):

Lemonthe original
Limefits about as well
Avocadofits less well
Cherryfits less well

Fit is the average pairing score against catfish, basil, oregano, garlic, pepper, parmesan cheese, olive. 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.