Why it works: Basil and olive are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,063 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓
Lemon Sole in Cornmeal with Tomato Caper Relish
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Turn the oven to broil and lightly grease a broiler pan.
Stir together the yogurt and chopped basil then set aside.
Blend cornmeal, salt and pepper together.
Cook
Brush the sole with olive oil and dredge in the cornmeal mixture.
Arrange fillets on the broiler pan and broil them without turning for 4 minutes.
Pull the pan out from under the broiler and spread a thick layer of the basil yogurt mixture over the top of each piece.
Put the pan back under the broiler for 30 more seconds.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Lemon Sole | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Basil | 5 leaves fresh (2.5g) | 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.
-
Basil + olivetop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,063 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Basil + peppertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,294 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).
-
Yogurt + olivetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,920 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, fruity).
-
Pepper + olivetop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,263 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Yogurt + peppertop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,425 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Lemon sole
- Forms the delicate fish fillets that cook quickly under direct heat.
- Cornmeal
- Forms a crisp, golden coating that browns under the broiler.
- Plain yogurt
- Adds moisture and tang to the basil topping, keeping the fish tender.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Helps the cornmeal coating adhere and promotes even browning.
The step that matters
Broiling the fish without turning. Fish fillets are thin and delicate, so broiling them without turning cooks the top quickly while keeping them moist; leaving them too long under the broiler can dry them out.
Swap the basil
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (yogurt, pepper, lemon sole, olive):
- Garlicfits better
- Parsleyfits better
- Corianderfits better
- Basilthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against yogurt, pepper, lemon sole, olive. 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.
You might also like
Lemon Sauce236 recipes
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.