Why it works: Lemon and parsley match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,037 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Delicious Marinated Shrimp
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 10 minutes before using.
Skewer shrimp, about 3 to 5 per skewer, depending on size. Place skewers in a 13 x 9 inch baking pan.
Mix the marinade ingredients together and pour the marinade over the skewered shrimp.
Marinate
Cover the pan and place it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, turning the shrimp or spooning the marinade over the shrimp at least once during that time.
Grill
Grease and preheat a George Foreman grill.
Grill the shrimp until they turn pink; it doesn't take long, so watch carefully.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Shrimp | 100g cooked | 99 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
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.
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Lemon + parsleytop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together14,037 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together27,047 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
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Clove + parsleytop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,768 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Shrimp
- Forms the main protein; it turns opaque and firm as it cooks through.
- Soy sauce
- Adds salty, savory flavor and helps the marinade season the shrimp.
- Lemon juice
- Acidity that flavors the marinade and begins to change the shrimp's surface texture.
- Oil
- Carries fat-soluble flavors through the marinade and helps keep the shrimp moist on the grill.
- Garlic
- Provides pungent aromatic flavor that deepens during marinating and grilling.
The step that matters
Grilling the shrimp. Shrimp go from opaque and tender to rubbery within a minute or two of overcooking. Watch for them to turn pink and become opaque, then remove them promptly, since residual heat keeps cooking them.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (shrimp, clove, sauce, lemon, parsley, pepper):
- Shallotfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Carrotfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against shrimp, clove, sauce, lemon, parsley, 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.
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