Why it works: Lobster and sauce are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,095 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Crimped Salmon
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut the salmon into 1.5 to 2‑inch thick slices.
Place the slices in a bowl of strong saltwater for a moment, then wash them well.
Lay the slices on a fish plate.
Cook and serve
Bring a pot of salted water to a fast boil.
Add the salmon slices to the boiling water and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove the salmon and serve hot on a napkin with lobster sauce or melted butter.
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.
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.
-
Lobster + saucetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,095 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Salmon + fishtop 11% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,078 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Salmon + lobstertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together313 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, green).
-
Lobster + fishtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together326 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
-
Salmon + saucetop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,765 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Salmon
- The main protein; gentle cooking in hot water sets its flesh into moist, flaky pieces.
- Butter
- Adds fat and richness to the cooked salmon, carrying flavour and a smooth mouthfeel.
The step that matters
Adding the salmon to a fast boil. Dropping the slices into rapidly boiling water brings the temperature back up quickly, so the fish cooks evenly and stays moist. Watching the 10 to 15 minutes matters because overcooking squeezes out moisture and makes the flesh dry and firm.
“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
Lobster Sauce174 recipes
Salmon Salad155 recipes
Salmon Croquettes129 recipes
Fried Fish120 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.