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Masque Choux

A creamy stew of red bell pepper, green onions, tomatoes, corn, and herbs.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 10 ingredients
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Why it works: Basil and thyme match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,768 recipes. Both carry terpineol, which smells pine, woody. The science ↓

Masque Choux

Time10 minutes, then another 10 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Saute the red bell pepper, green onions, and butter or margarine in an uncovered pan until the pepper is softened.

  2. Add the next three ingredients (2 tomatoes, 2 packages frozen corn, ⅓ cup chicken broth) and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes.

  3. Add the remaining ingredients (⅓ cup half and half, ¼ tsp sweet basil, ¼ tsp thyme, salt, pepper, pinch of cayenne) and simmer for another 10 minutes or until thickened.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

511Calories
38 gProtein
23 gFat
42 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Chicken100g cooked165
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Corn1/2 cup kernels (82g)77
Cream1 tbsp (15ml) heavy51
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Bell Pepper1 medium (119g)31
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Thyme1 tsp dried (1.4g)4
Sweet Basil5 leaves fresh (2.5g)1
Salt1 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.

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. Basil + thymetop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,768 recipes

    Shared aroma: terpineol (pine, woody).

  2. Tomato + basiltop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,979 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).

  3. Pepper + thymetop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together11,585 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  4. Pepper + basiltop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together5,294 recipes

    Shared aroma: methyl cinnamate (strawberry).

  5. Tomato + thymetop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,370 recipes

    Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).

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

What each ingredient does

Corn
Provides the bulk and sweetness of the stew as it simmers down.
Half and half
Adds richness and body, helping the stew thicken into a creamy texture.
Chicken broth
Supplies the liquid that simmers off, concentrating flavour as it reduces.
Tomatoes
Add moisture and a light acidity that balances the sweet corn.

The step that matters

Simmering until thickened. Cream and broth thicken as water evaporates, so stopping too early leaves a thin stew, while overcooking can make the dairy separate or scorch on the pan bottom.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, butter, tomato, corn, chicken, basil, thyme):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Potatofits better
  3. Carrotfits better
  4. Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, butter, tomato, corn, chicken, basil, thyme. 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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