Why it works: Garlic and sambal work together. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and 77 recipes mention both. Both carry linalool, which smells floral, citrus. The science ↓
The recipe
3 servingsIngredients
Contains: egg, milk, wheat, peanut, tree nuts, soy, shellfish (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.
Pat the shrimp dry. Set up three shallow dishes: flour seasoned with kosher salt and black pepper, the beaten eggs whisked with the milk, and the slightly crushed panko. Dredge each shrimp in flour, then egg, then panko, pressing to coat.
Make the chili garlic glaze: in a small saucepan combine the rice wine vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar, sea salt, minced garlic, minced ginger and sambal oelek. Simmer over medium-low heat 5 minutes until slightly syrupy, then keep warm.
Heat 1 to 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the shrimp in batches 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden and opaque, reaching 145°F (63°C), adding oil as needed. Drain on paper towels.
Toss the cooked shrimp with about half of the warm glaze in a bowl. Keep the remaining glaze to spoon over the shrimp when serving.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the crushed dried ramen noodles and slivered almonds and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until golden. Add the sunflower seeds and cook 1 minute more, then remove from heat.
Thinly shred the Savoy cabbage. Chop the cilantro, mint and basil. In a jar, shake the canola oil, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce and 1/4 teaspoon salt to make the dressing.
Combine the shredded cabbage, sliced green onions and herbs in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss, then fold in the ramen mixture just before serving.
Divide the slaw among plates, top with the glazed shrimp, and drizzle with the remaining glaze.
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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Garlic + sambaltop 6% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together77 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
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Shrimp + garlictop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together2,546 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).
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Pepper + garlictop 5% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together27,044 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Vinegar + garlictop 5% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together9,034 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
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Shrimp + peanut oiltop 6% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together104 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
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