Duck Gumbo

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. Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together34,122 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

2. Tomato + ricetop 6% of all pairs
   Smell alikestrong
   Cooked together3,065 recipes

   Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).

3. Pepper + tomatotop 7% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together17,923 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

4. Onion + tomatotop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together20,633 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

5. Tomato + parsleytop 8% of all pairs
   Smell alikemoderate
   Cooked together5,398 recipes

   Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

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

What each ingredient does

Duck

Provides the main meat and rich flavor that the broth is built around.

Flour

Thickens the broth into a roux-based gravy as it cooks with the liquid.

Bacon

Its rendered fat adds savory smokiness to the base before the liquid goes in.

Shrimp

Adds quick-cooking seafood flavor and tender texture to the finished gumbo.

Oysters

Contribute briny seafood flavor and a soft texture when added near the end.

Gumbo file powder

Thickens the gumbo and adds a distinctive earthy, herbal flavor.

The step that matters

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, pepper, shrimp, oyster, tomato, parsley, rice):

1. Okrafits better
2. Capsicumfits better
3. Cucumberfits better
4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against flour, pepper, shrimp, oyster, tomato, parsley, rice. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.