Why it works: Lime and coriander match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and 3,536 recipes mention both. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
The recipe
four serving platesIngredients
Contains: shellfish (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Make the dressing
Mix the olive oil, lime juice, chillies, and coriander or parsley in a salad bowl to make the dressing.
Add the prawns and stir well to coat.
If making ahead, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (no more than a few hours in advance).
Assemble and serve
When ready to serve, remove the prawns from the fridge.
Add the potatoes and tomatoes, season with black pepper, and mix well.
Arrange the lettuce leaves on four serving plates.
Spoon the prawn mixture onto each plate.
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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Lime + coriandertop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together3,536 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Lime + peppertop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together3,491 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Coriander + peppertop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together5,948 recipes
Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).
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Olive + potatotop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together5,688 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).
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Olive + coriandertop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together5,708 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Prawns
- Provide the main protein and the bulk of the salad.
- Olive oil
- Carries the flavours of lime, chilli and herbs and coats the other ingredients.
- Lime juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the dressing and sharpens the flavour.
- New potatoes
- Add starchy body and a firm, substantial texture to the salad.
- Cherry tomatoes
- Add juiciness and a touch of sweetness and acidity.
The step that matters
Refrigerating the prawns if making ahead. Cooked prawns spoil quickly at warm temperatures and can become rubbery or unsafe if held too long, so keep them chilled and do not exceed a few hours.
Flavor stand-ins for the cherry tomato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, lime, coriander, lettuce, potato, pepper):
- Avocadobetter flavor fit
- Lemonbetter flavor fit
- Mangobetter flavor fit
- Cherry tomatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against olive, lime, coriander, lettuce, potato, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).
“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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