Why it works: Olive and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 30,263 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Slices of Crimped Salmon Broiled, with Caper Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Marinate the salmon slices in olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Broil and serve
Broil the salmon on a very slow fire for 45 minutes, turning occasionally.
Remove the skins and drain the salmon on a clean towel to absorb excess oil.
Serve the salmon covered with caper sauce.
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.
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Olive + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together30,263 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Salmon + olivetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,942 recipes
Shared aroma: trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
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Salmon + saucetop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,765 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Olive + saucetop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together5,568 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Salmon + peppertop 27% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together5,446 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
- Forms the main protein; its flesh cooks through and becomes flaky under gentle heat.
- Olive oil
- Adds fat and moisture, helping the salmon stay juicy while it broils.
The step that matters
Broil on a very slow fire. Low, gentle heat cooks the salmon through without drying the flesh or scorching the surface. Turning it occasionally helps it cook evenly.
“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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