Why it works: Pepper and lime match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 3,491 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Crab Cakes Guyanese-style
Ingredients
Directions
Make the crab cakes
In a small bowl, gently mix all the ingredients (except for the butter and salsa) until combined.
Form into 12 crab cakes.
Cook and serve
Fry the crab cakes in butter over a moderate heat, until golden brown on both sides.
Serve with the sweet lime salsa.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Crab | 100g cooked | 97 |
| Bread | 1 slice (30g) white | 79 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Honey | 1 tbsp (21g) | 64 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Lime | juice of 1 lime (44ml) | 11 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Meat | 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 + limetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,491 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Bread + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Crab + meattop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together448 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine (cocoa, roasted).
-
Crab + buttertop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together812 recipes
Shared aroma: nonanal (fat, citrus).
-
Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 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
- Crab meat
- Provides the main flavor and protein that forms the body of the cakes.
- Fresh bread crumbs
- Absorb moisture and help the cakes hold their shape while frying.
- Mayonnaise
- Adds fat and moisture, keeping the cakes tender rather than dry.
- Butter
- Browns the outside of the cakes and adds rich, nutty flavor when frying.
- Honey
- Adds sweetness that balances the heat of the jerk spice and helps browning.
The step that matters
Frying the crab cakes. Cook over moderate heat so the outside browns before the centre is done. Higher heat scorches the butter and sugars in the honey while the inside stays cold and loose.
Swap the lime
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (crab, meat, onion, pepper, honey, bread, butter):
- Grapefits better
- Figfits better
- Avocadofits about as well
- Limethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against crab, meat, onion, pepper, honey, bread, butter. 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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