Why it works: Corn and lima beans work together. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 222 recipes. Both carry 2,3-pentanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Plato Paceno
Ingredients
Directions
Boil the vegetables
Put corn husks in a large pot, about three inches high, and add boiling water until covering them.
Place the pot over high heat.
As soon as the water boils, add the corn and the Lima beans separated by corn husks.
Let it boil for twenty‑five minutes more or less.
Add the washed potatoes and cover with more corn husks.
Let it boil for another twenty minutes, or until all vegetables are cooked.
Fry the cheese
In a large pan, heat oil over high heat.
Fry cheese slices until golden. Do not let them burn.
Serve
In each plate, serve one corn on the cob, Lima beans, one potato, and slices of fried cheese.
Add llajwa if desired.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Lima Bean | 1/2 cup (85g) cooked | 108 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Corn | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Sauce | 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.
-
Corn + lima beanstop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together222 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Corn + potatotop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together938 recipes
Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
-
Potato + tomatotop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,798 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Corn + tomatotop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,099 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Lima beans + tomatotop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together131 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Fresh corn on the cob
- Provides sweetness and a tender, starchy bite that balances the savory cheese.
- Lima beans
- Add a creamy, starchy texture that holds up well to long boiling.
- Potatoes
- Add starch and body, becoming soft and filling as they cook in the pot.
- Fresh quesillos
- Melt-resistant fresh cheese that turns golden and slightly crisp when fried, adding richness.
- Llajwa
- Adds acidity, heat and fresh tomato flavor as an optional sauce.
The step that matters
Frying the cheese until golden. Sugars and proteins in the cheese brown quickly over high heat, so the slices can move from golden to burnt in moments. Watching closely keeps them golden, crisp at the edges and not bitter.
Swap the lima beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (corn, potato, cheese, butter, tomato, sauce):
- Beansfits better
- Peanutfits about as well
- Chickpeafits about as well
- Lima beansthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against corn, potato, cheese, butter, tomato, sauce. 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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