Why it works: Pepper and capsicum match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 34,571 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Crab Backs
Ingredients
Directions
Make the filling
Put butter in a large skillet and sauté onion, chives, and capsicums.
Add crabmeat, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and chili pepper, then toss in the pan over low heat with a wooden spoon.
Add breadcrumbs, combining all ingredients in the pan well.
Fill and grill
Divide the mixture onto the eight empty crab backs.
Dot each crab back with butter.
Place under a hot grill until golden brown.
Serve immediately.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 9 of 10 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Shrimp | 100g cooked | 99 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Chives | 1 tbsp (3g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Capsicum | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
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.
-
Pepper + capsicumtop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,571 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Onion + chivetop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,907 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Onion + capsicumtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together23,390 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Chive + capsicumtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together695 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Butter + crabtop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together812 recipes
Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Crabmeat
- Provides the main protein and sweet, delicate flavour that the filling is built around.
- Butter
- Adds richness and moisture, and helps the vegetables soften and brown in the pan.
- Breadcrumbs
- Absorb moisture and bind the filling so it holds together in the shell.
- Onion
- Adds savoury sweetness and aroma as it softens in the butter.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Adds savoury, tangy depth that seasons the crab mixture.
The step that matters
Place under a hot grill until golden brown. The filling is already cooked, so the grill only needs to brown the top. Watch it closely, since the breadcrumbs and butter can scorch before the surface turns golden evenly.
Swap the chive
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, onion, sauce, pepper, capsicum, crab):
- Okrafits better
- Tomatofits about as well
- Potatofits about as well
- Chivethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, onion, sauce, pepper, capsicum, crab. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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