Why it works: Rice and sesame match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 984 recipes. Both carry trans-2-nonenal, which smells cardboard, fatty. The science ↓
Steamed Shrimp
Ingredients
Directions
Steam the seafood
Arrange the shrimp and scallops on a plate in a steamer basket.
Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon each orange juice and rice vinegar.
Place the steamer over boiling water in a wok or large skillet and cover.
Cook 7 to 8 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through.
Make the vinaigrette
Meanwhile, stir together the remaining orange juice, rice vinegar, sesame oil, mustard, salt and pepper in a medium bowl, then mix in the scallion, dill and chives.
Toss and serve
Transfer the hot seafood to the bowl with the vinaigrette and toss to coat well.
Serve warm on lettuce-lined plates.
Garnish with chopped pimento if desired.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sesame | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Shrimp | 100g cooked | 99 |
| Orange | 1 medium (131g) | 62 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Chives | 1 tbsp (3g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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.
-
Rice + sesametop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together984 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Sesame + mustardtop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together180 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Vinegar + mustardtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Mustard + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,430 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Shrimp + scalloptop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together26 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine (cocoa, roasted).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Shrimp
- Provides the main protein, turning firm and opaque when heated through.
- Sea scallops
- Provides a tender, sweet seafood base that cooks gently in the steam.
- Orange juice
- Adds sweetness and fruity brightness that balances the vinegar and sesame.
- Rice vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the seafood and sharpens the vinaigrette.
- Sesame oil
- Adds fat and a toasty aroma that carries the flavour of the dressing.
- Dry mustard
- Adds a sharp, pungent note that cuts through the sweetness of the citrus.
The step that matters
Cook the seafood only until the shrimp are cooked through. Shrimp and scallop proteins tighten quickly when heated, so overcooking makes them rubbery and dry. Checking at the early end of the 7 to 8 minute window keeps them tender before they are tossed with the warm vinaigrette.
Swap the orange
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (shrimp, scallop, rice, vinegar, sesame, mustard, pepper):
- Avocadofits better
- Limefits better
- Lemonfits better
- Orangethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against shrimp, scallop, rice, vinegar, sesame, mustard, 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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