Name: Mediterranean Seafood Supper
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp olive oil; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 3 cans (15-ounce each) stewed tomatoes; 6 Tbsp prepared chili sauce; 5 whole cloves; 2 to 3 bay leaves; 2 Tbsp sherry or chicken stock; 1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley; ½ tsp dried oregano leaves, crushed; ½ tsp dried thyme leaves, crushed; ¼ to 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 Cup canned or frozen corn, drained; 1 can (6-ounce) crab meat, rinsed and drained; 1 ripe California Avocado, seeded, peeled and cubed; Garnish- fresh Italian parley sprigs; Grilled Seafood Steak; 2 Pounds swordfish or halibut steaks; 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice; 1 tsp dried thyme leaves, crushed; 1 tsp dried oregano leaves, crushed; ¼ to 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper; ¼ ripe California Avocado, seeded, peeled and chopped into1/4-inch pieces; ½ Cup chopped (1/4-inch) ripe mango; 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice; In small bowl combine all ingredients.

Why it works: Olive and tomato match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and 14,164 recipes mention both. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.

Olive + tomatotop 1% of all pairs

Aroma overlapstrong

Mentioned together14,164 recipes

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

Aroma overlapstrong

Mentioned together2,767 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).
Garlic + tomatotop 2% of all pairs

Aroma overlapmoderate

Mentioned together14,075 recipes

Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
Olive + garlictop 3% of all pairs

Aroma overlapmoderate

Mentioned together23,449 recipes

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

Aroma overlapstrong

Mentioned together1,184 recipes

Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

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

What each ingredient does

Stewed tomatoes: Form the main body and tangy acidity of the soup broth.
Crab meat: Adds delicate sweet seafood flavor and tender protein to the soup.
Swordfish or halibut steaks: Provide firm, meaty protein that holds its shape on the grill.
Corn: Adds mild sweetness and a juicy, tender bite to the soup.
Avocado: Contributes creamy richness and fat that softens the acidic broth.
Garlic: Adds aroma and savory depth when lightly browned in the oil.

The step that matters

Grilling until the fish just flakes. Fish proteins firm and turn opaque as they cook, and they dry out and turn tough once overcooked. Checking for easy flaking with a fork helps catch the point where the fish is done but still moist.

Flavor stand-ins for the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, garlic, tomato, sauce, sherry, parsley, oregano):

Basilbetter flavor fit
Thymebetter flavor fit
Cuminbetter flavor fit
Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against olive, garlic, tomato, sauce, sherry, parsley, oregano. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).

“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.

Mediterranean Seafood Supper

The recipe

Ingredients

Directions

Make the soup

Assemble the bowls

Season and grill the seafood