Name: Lamb Salad
Ingredients: 2 stalks finely sliced celery; 2 tablespoons oil; 1 finely sliced small onion; 3 saltspoons pepper

Why it works: Celery and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 16,012 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓

Lamb Salad

Ingredients

2 stalks finely sliced celery
2 tablespoons oil
1 finely sliced small onion
3 saltspoons pepper

Directions

Prepare

Cut cold lamb into very thin slices.

Make and serve the salad

In a bowl, combine 1 finely sliced small onion, 2 stalks finely sliced celery, 1 teaspoon chopped tarragon, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 saltspoons pepper, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar.
Mix up well with the sliced lamb and serve.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

175Calories

2 gProtein

14 gFat

13 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 4 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Celery	1 stalk (40g)	6
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

By Martin, Maria Ewing, Mrs., [from old catalog] comp. Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.

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.

Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together16,012 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Celery + oniontop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together18,518 recipes

Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together68,474 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

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

What each ingredient does

Cold lamb (in the method): Forms the main body of the salad, providing protein and substance.
Onion: Adds sharp, pungent flavour that brightens the dressed salad.
Celery: Adds crisp texture and fresh, mild flavour to the salad.
Oil: Carries flavour and coats the meat and vegetables, adding richness and moisture.
Tarragon vinegar (in the method): Adds acidity that balances the richness of the oil and lamb.