Name: Grilled Scallops with Fennel Slaw
Ingredients: 1 1⁄2 gals. Thinly sliced fennel; 1 1⁄2 qts. California Ripe Olives, wedged; 3 cups Chopped dill; 1 1⁄2 cups Lemon juice; 3⁄4 cup Olive oil; 1⁄3 cup White wine vinegar; 2 Tbsp. Kosher salt; 1 Tbsp. Ground black pepper; 9 lbs. Sea scallops; 1 1⁄2 cups Sliced almonds, toasted; 12-inch skewers

Why it works: Fennel and dill match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 122 recipes. Both carry 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, which smells sweet, anise. The science ↓

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.

Fennel + dilltop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together122 recipes

Shared aroma: 4-methoxybenzaldehyde (sweet, anise).
Dill + lemontop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together976 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Fennel + lemontop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together723 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together27,047 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Dill + peppertop 4% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together1,630 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

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

What each ingredient does

Sea scallops: Provide the main protein, which browns on the grill while staying tender inside.
Fennel: Adds crisp texture and a mild anise flavor to the slaw.
Lemon juice: Adds acidity that brightens the slaw and balances the oil.
Olive oil: Adds fat and moisture, helping the scallops brown and the slaw feel rich.
Sliced almonds: Add crunch and a toasted, nutty aroma on top of the dish.
White wine vinegar: Adds sharp acidity that softens the raw fennel slightly as it marinates.

The step that matters

Grilling the scallops over medium-high heat. Scallops are easy to overcook, and they turn rubbery when they lose moisture. A hot grill browns the surface quickly while the centre stays tender, so they should be pulled as soon as they are opaque and just firm.

Swap the dill

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (fennel, olive, lemon, white wine, vinegar, pepper, scallop):

Tarragonfits better
Thymefits better
Parsleyfits better
Dillthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against fennel, olive, lemon, white wine, vinegar, pepper, scallop. 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.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Shrimp	100g cooked	99
Fennel	1/2 bulb (87g)	27
Lemon	juice of 1 lemon (48ml)	12
Almond	1 almond (1.2g)	7
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Olive	1 large (4g)	4
Dill	5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried	4
Vinegar	1 tbsp (15ml) distilled	3
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

Grilled Scallops with Fennel Slaw