Name: Scallop Casserole
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 2 lbs scallops; 1 lb small mushrooms; 1/4 cup butter; 1 tablespoon minced garlic (I use the pre-minced in a jar); 4 tablespoons flour; 1 cup chablis or Chardonnay wine; 1 1/2 cups light cream or half-and-half; salt; pepper; paprika (to garnish)

Why it works: Mushroom and garlic are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,700 recipes. Both carry linalool, which smells floral, citrus. 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.

Mushroom + garlictop 6% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,700 recipes

Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
Butter + mushroomtop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together12,525 recipes

Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
Mushroom + winetop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together2,632 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-methoxy-4-propylphenol (allspice, anise).
Garlic + peppertop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together27,090 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together41,516 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

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

What each ingredient does

Scallops: Form the main protein, becoming tender and delicate as they cook gently in the sauce.
Flour: Thickens the butter and wine mixture into a smooth sauce that coats the casserole.
Butter: Adds richness and flavor to the sauce and helps the flour form a roux.
Mushrooms: Release moisture as they cook, adding earthy flavor and softness to the dish.
Light cream or half-and-half: Adds moisture and body to the sauce, making it rich and smooth.
Chablis or chardonnay wine: Adds acidity and aroma that brighten the creamy sauce.

The step that matters

Cook the wine into the roux until thick. The flour must be cooked enough after the wine is added to thicken the sauce fully. Adding liquid gradually prevents lumps, and cooking until thick ensures the sauce sets properly before it goes into the oven.

Swap the garlic

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, scallop, mushroom, flour, wine, cream, pepper):

Nutmegfits about as well
Thymefits about as well
Parsleyfits about as well
Garlicthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, scallop, mushroom, flour, wine, cream, 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.

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Flour	1 cup (125g) all-purpose	455
Butter	1 tbsp (14g)	102
Shrimp	100g cooked	99
Cream	1 tbsp (15ml) heavy	51
Wine	2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml)	25
Mushroom	1/2 cup sliced (35g)	15
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Garlic	1 clove (3g)	4
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

Scallop Casserole