Why it works: Oregano and tomato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,767 recipes. Both carry 2-hexenal, which smells green, leafy. The science ↓
Maryland Crab-Corn Stew
Ingredients
Directions
Make the stew base
Put onion, potatoes, water, oregano, salt and white pepper in a large saucepan.
Bring to a boil.
Lower heat and cook slowly, covered, 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Add the rest and finish
Mix in crab meat, corn, tomato, green pepper and hot sauce.
Continue cooking 5 minutes.
Add half and half and parsley.
Leave over low heat long enough to heat through.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 12 of 14 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 12 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Shrimp | 100g cooked | 99 |
| Corn | 1/2 cup kernels (82g) | 77 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bell Pepper | 1 medium (119g) | 31 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Chili | 1 tsp (2.7g) | 8 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Oregano | 1 tsp dried (1.8g) | 5 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | not in our table | 0 |
| 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.
-
Oregano + tomatotop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,767 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).
-
Onion + potatotop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + corntop 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).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potatoes
- Soften during simmering and thicken the stew body as they break down slightly.
- Crab meat
- Provides the main seafood flavor and tender, flaky texture in the finished stew.
- Corn
- Adds sweetness and pops of texture against the softer potatoes and crab.
- Half and half
- Adds richness and a creamy body that softens the stew's acidity from the tomato.
- Tomato
- Contributes acidity, moisture and a fresh savory backbone to the broth.
The step that matters
Adding the half and half and heating through. Dairy can curdle or separate if it boils hard. Keeping the heat low after adding half and half lets it warm gently and stay smooth.
Swap the white pepper
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (onion, potato, oregano, crab, meat, corn, tomato):
- Garlicfits better
- Cuminfits better
- Thymefits better
- White pepperthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against onion, potato, oregano, crab, meat, corn, tomato. 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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