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Squid Mediterranean

Sautéed squid with onions, garlic, olives, capers, tomatoes, and herbs, served over rice.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 14 ingredients
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Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓

Squid Mediterranean

Time30 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Cut the body of the squid into ½-inch slices; set aside.

  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet.

  3. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is tender.

Simmer

  1. Add the squid and the remaining ingredients, then bring the mixture to a boil.

  2. Cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until the squid is tender. Do not overcook the squid.

Serve

  1. Serve the sauce over a bed of rice.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

208Calories
3 gProtein
15 gFat
19 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Oregano1 tsp dried (1.8g)5
Olive1 large (4g)4
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Capers1 tbsp (9g) drained2
Squidnot in our table0

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.

  1. Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  2. Olive + tomatotop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together15,539 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).

  3. Oregano + tomatotop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,767 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).

  4. Oregano + garlictop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,756 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  5. Olive + garlictop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together25,665 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

Squid
Provides the main protein; becomes tender with gentle simmering but turns rubbery if overcooked.
Onion
Softens and adds sweetness to the sauce base.
Italian-style tomatoes
Form the liquid base of the sauce and add acidity and body.
Black olives
Add salty, briny flavor to the sauce.
Capers
Add sharp, salty brininess that balances the tomatoes.
Olive oil
Carries flavor from the aromatics and adds richness to the sauce.

The step that matters

Simmer the squid gently and do not overcook it. Squid cooks very quickly; a gentle simmer for the stated time lets the tough muscle relax, while prolonged cooking makes it firm and rubbery.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, olive, oregano, pepper, squid, garlic, tomato):

  1. Cuminfits better
  2. Basilfits better
  3. Thymefits better
  4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against onion, olive, oregano, pepper, squid, garlic, tomato. 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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