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Mediterranean Rice

A buttery rice dish with onion, chicken broth, Asiago cheese, and Kalamata olives.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 6 ingredients
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Why it works: Rice and chicken are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,769 recipes. Both carry (e,e)-2,4-decadienal, which smells fatty, deep fried. The science ↓

Mediterranean Rice

Time20‑25 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Cook the rice

  1. Melt butter in a 2‑quart saucepan over medium‑high heat.

  2. Add onions; cook until onions begin to brown (about 8 minutes).

  3. Add rice; stir to coat.

  4. Add chicken broth, bring to a simmer and cover; cook 20‑25 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

  5. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork.

Finish and serve

  1. Add cheese and olives; stir until cheese is melted.

  2. Serve hot.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

634Calories
44 gProtein
25 gFat
56 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Rice1 cup cooked (158g) white206
Chicken100g cooked165
Cheese1 oz (28g) cheddar113
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Olive1 large (4g)4

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

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.

  1. Rice + chickentop 5% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together4,769 recipes

    Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).

  2. Rice + olivetop 6% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together4,994 recipes

    Shared aroma: trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).

  3. Onion + olivetop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together29,779 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).

  4. Onion + chickentop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,814 recipes

    Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).

  5. Butter + cheesetop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together7,962 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

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

What each ingredient does

Rice
Starch that absorbs the broth and forms the body of the dish.
Chicken broth
Liquid that cooks the rice and gives it savory flavor.
Asiago cheese
Melts into the rice to add richness and a salty, savory flavor.
Kalamata olives
Add briny, tangy flavor that contrasts with the rich cheese.
Onion
Softens and browns to add sweetness and depth of flavor.

The step that matters

Cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed. Once the broth is added, the lid traps steam so the rice cooks evenly. Lifting the lid lets steam escape and can leave the rice unevenly cooked or wet. Stop when the liquid is absorbed, then rest off heat before fluffing.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, rice, chicken, cheese, olive):

  1. Tomatofits better
  2. Potatofits better
  3. Capsicumfits about as well
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against butter, rice, chicken, cheese, olive. 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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