Why it works: Onion and mustard match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,259 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Baked Crabmeat
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Lightly spray a 9‑inch square casserole dish or baking pan with vegetable oil spray.
In a small saucepan, melt the margarine over medium‑high heat.
Cook the onion 2 to 3 minutes.
Transfer the onion to a medium bowl.
Make the mixture
Stir in the crabmeat, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.
Slowly fold in the beaten egg whites.
Pour the mixture into the casserole dish.
Sprinkle the mixture with the cheese.
Bake and serve
Bake for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned.
Remove from the oven and cut into rectangles.
Serve immediately.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Parmesan Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 110 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
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.
-
Onion + mustardtop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,259 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Mustard + saucetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,120 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Onion + parmesan cheesetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,717 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Mustard + parmesan cheesetop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together545 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Egg + parmesan cheesetop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,368 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Crabmeat
- Provides the main seafood body and flavour of the dish.
- Eggs
- Whites beaten to stiff peaks give the baked mixture a light, airy structure as they set.
- Dijon mustard
- Adds sharp, tangy flavour that balances the sweetness of the crab.
- Parmesan cheese
- Melts and browns on top, adding savoury flavour and a golden crust.
- Onion
- Softened in margarine first, adding sweetness and aroma to the base.
The step that matters
Folding in the beaten egg whites. Folding gently keeps the air beaten into the whites; stirring or deflating them makes the baked dish dense rather than light and airy.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (mustard, sauce, egg, parmesan cheese):
- Horseradishfits better
- Asparagusfits better
- Lettucefits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against mustard, sauce, egg, 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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