Name: Very Spicy Creamy Clam Dip
Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese softened; 1/4 cup sour cream; 13 ounces minced clams, drained, reserving 3 tablespoons liquid; 1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper; 1 shallot minced; 2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves; 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Why it works: Shallot and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,737 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓

Very Spicy Creamy Clam Dip

Ingredients

8 ounces cream cheese softened
1/4 cup sour cream
13 ounces minced clams, drained, reserving 3 tablespoons liquid
1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 shallot minced
2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

In a bowl whisk together cream cheese and sour cream until smooth.
Stir in remaining ingredients.
Serve dip with toasts or chips.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

354Calories

45 gProtein

12 gFat

18 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 8 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Yogurt	170g plain Greek	100
Cream Cheese	1 oz (28g)	99
Shrimp	100g cooked	99
Red Bell Pepper	1 medium (119g)	31
Soy Sauce	1 tbsp (15ml)	9
Chili	1 tsp (2.7g)	8
Shallot	1 tbsp minced (10g)	7
Parsley	1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)	1

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.

Shallot + parsleytop 1% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together3,737 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together34,122 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Cream + saucetop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together4,787 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Pepper + shallottop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together5,898 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Shallot + saucetop 14% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together1,303 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

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

What each ingredient does

Cream cheese: Provides the rich, creamy base and body of the dip.
Sour cream: Adds tang and extra moisture for a smooth, spreadable texture.
Minced clams: Supply the main seafood flavor and savory character of the dip.
Red bell pepper: Adds mild sweetness, crunch and fresh vegetable flavor.
Shallot: Contributes a mild onion-like aroma and savory depth.

Swap the shallot

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cream cheese, cream, clam, pepper, parsley, sauce):

Potatofits better
Capsicumfits about as well
Shallotthe original
Chivefits about as well

Fit is the average pairing score against cream cheese, cream, clam, pepper, parsley, sauce. 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.