Why it works: Salmon and chicken work together. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and 531 recipes mention both. Both carry 2,6-nonadienal, which smells cucumber, green. The science ↓
The recipe
Ingredients
Contains: wheat, fish (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Also mentioned in the method: bread
Directions
Prepare
Spray indoor ridged grill with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Alternatively, prepare outdoor grill according to manufacturer's directions.
Sprinkle salmon on both sides with tarragon, salt and black pepper.
Cook the salmon and sauce
Grill 5 minutes on each side, until fish is cooked through.
Meanwhile, to prepare sauce, in small nonstick skillet, heat oil. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, 2 minutes.
Stir in broth, relish, lemon juice and cayenne; cook, stirring frequently, 2-3 minutes, until sauce boils and reduces slightly. Remove from heat.
Assemble
To assemble sandwich, divide lettuce and tomato evenly over bread. Place salmon on top and drizzle evenly with sauce.
This recipe comes from the Recipes Wiki on Fandom and is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Our formatting and summaries are shared under the same licence.
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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Salmon + chickentop 10% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together531 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, green).
-
Tarragon + lemontop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together884 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Pepper + lemontop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together27,039 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Tarragon + lettucetop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together278 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Olive + garlictop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together23,449 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Salmon fillet
- Provides the main protein, which firms and turns opaque as it cooks through.
- Olive oil
- Carries the garlic in the sauce and conducts heat for even cooking.
- Garlic
- Adds aroma that mellows and sweetens as it cooks gently in oil.
- Chicken broth
- Forms the liquid base of the sauce, which reduces to concentrate its flavor.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the sauce and balances the richness of the fish.
- Pumpernickel
- Provides a sturdy base that holds the fish and sauce without soaking through.
The step that matters
Reducing the sauce. Cooking the broth, relish, lemon juice and cayenne until it boils and reduces concentrates the flavors and thickens it slightly. Too little reduction leaves it thin and watery on the sandwich, while overcooking makes it too salty and sharp.
Flavor stand-ins for the lettuce
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (salmon, tarragon, pepper, olive, garlic, chicken, lemon):
- Tomatobetter flavor fit
- Capsicumbetter flavor fit
- Potatobetter flavor fit
- Lettucethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against salmon, tarragon, pepper, olive, garlic, chicken, lemon. 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.
You might also like
Illustration
Illustration
Illustration
IllustrationThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.