Caper Sauce for Fish

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.

1. Butter + mushroomtop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together12,525 recipes

   Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).

2. Veal + mushroomtop 14% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together2,446 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).

3. Capers + mushroomtop 14% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together266 recipes

   Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

4. Butter + caperstop 16% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together1,637 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

5. Vinegar + caperstop 16% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together1,453 recipes

   Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).

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

What each ingredient does

Melted butter

Provides rich fat that carries the flavor and gives the sauce a smooth, silky body.

Veal gravy or jelly

Adds savory depth and body, thickening the sauce as it sets or cools.

Essence of anchovies

Contributes a salty, savory depth that rounds out the sauce.

Capers

Adds sharp, briny acidity that cuts through the richness of the butter.

Swap the capers

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, veal, vinegar, mushroom):

1. Tarragonfits better
2. Thymefits better
3. Garlicfits better
4. Capersthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, veal, vinegar, mushroom. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.