Why it works: Kale and maple syrup work together. They rank in the top 19% of all ingredient pairs, and 17 recipes mention both. Both carry 2-methylbutyraldehyde, which smells malty, chocolate. The science ↓
The recipe
6 servingsIngredients
Directions
Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.
Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Wash the kale leaves thoroughly and dry them completely, then tear the leaves into even pieces after the stems have been removed and discarded.
Place the kale in a large bowl, drizzle with the olive oil and maple syrup, and toss with your hands until every piece is lightly coated.
Spread the kale in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets, keeping pieces from overlapping as much as possible.
Sprinkle evenly with the sea salt and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the edges are crisp and browned.
Let the kale cool on the sheets for a few minutes so it becomes fully crisp before serving.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Kale + maple syruptop 19% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together17 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyraldehyde (malty, chocolate).
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Kale + olivetop 6% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together609 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
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Olive + maple syruptop 12% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together510 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl butyrate (fruity, apple).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
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