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 ↓
Granny Lou's Homemade Succotash
Ingredients
Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan.
Cook and stir over medium heat until the vegetables are hot.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese prior to serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Parmesan Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 110 |
| Lima Beans | 1/2 cup (85g) cooked | 108 |
| Corn | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Red Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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 + olivetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,502 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Lima beans + olivetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together106 recipes
Shared aroma: trans,trans-2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
-
Olive + parmesan cheesetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,233 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl isobutyrate (fruity, ethereal).
-
Corn + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,324 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Corn
- Adds natural sweetness and tender kernels that give the dish its main body.
- Lima beans
- Their starch gives a soft, creamy texture that holds the vegetables together.
- Olive oil
- Carries fat-soluble aroma and adds a smooth, rich mouthfeel to the vegetables.
- Heavy whipping cream
- Adds fat for richness and a silky texture that coats the vegetables as it heats.
- Red bell peppers
- Contribute mild sweetness, color, and a slight crisp-tender bite when heated.
- Parmesan cheese
- Adds salty, savory depth and melts slightly into the cream for a clinging finish.
The step that matters
Cook and stir over medium heat until the vegetables are hot. Cream scorches on the pan bottom and can separate or turn grainy at high heat. Medium heat with frequent stirring warms everything evenly and keeps the sauce smooth while the vegetables heat through.
Swap the lima beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (corn, olive, cream, pepper, parmesan cheese):
- Beansfits better
- Walnutfits about as well
- Lima beansthe original
- Chickpeafits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against corn, olive, cream, pepper, parmesan cheese. 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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