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 ↓
Salmon Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Mix together the salmon and chopped celery in a bowl.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Pour the salad oil and vinegar over the mixture.
Top with mayonnaise and serve immediately.
Garnish with hard-boiled eggs, pickled beets, olives, or capers if desired.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together16,012 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Pepper + vinegartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Salmon + eggtop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,485 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Celery + vinegartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,627 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Salmon + celerytop 26% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together658 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Salmon
- Provides the main protein and flaky body of the salad.
- Celery
- Adds crisp texture that contrasts with the soft salmon.
- Salad oil
- Adds fat and moisture, carrying flavour and keeping the salad rich.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavour and balances the richness.
- Mayonnaise
- Adds creamy fat and moisture for a smooth, binding topping.
Swap the celery
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (salmon, pepper, vinegar, egg):
- Dillfits better
- Tarragonfits better
- Parsleyfits better
- Celerythe original
Fit is the average pairing score against salmon, pepper, vinegar, egg. 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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