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Maffé III

A West African stew of beef simmered with onion, tomato paste, peanut butter, and spices.

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Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓

Maffé III

4–5 servings

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the meat

  1. Boil meat in a pot with salt and onion.

  2. Fry the meat in a pan of oil.

Make the stew

  1. Blend together the tomato, pepper, and garlic until smooth.

  2. Pour the blended mixture into a pot and add the peanut paste.

  3. Stir until thick.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

487Calories
36 gProtein
29 gFat
22 gCarbs

Counts 7 of 9 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 7 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Beef100g cooked250
Peanut1 oz (28g)161
Onion1 medium (110g)44
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Stewnot in our table0
Waternot in our table0

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 Wikibooks Cookbook.

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. Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together29,058 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  2. Tomato + garlictop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together14,076 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

  3. Peanut + garlictop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together877 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).

  4. Beef + oniontop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,092 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  5. Pepper + tomatotop 7% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together17,923 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

Stew beef
Provides the main protein, and frying it adds browned, savory flavor.
Peanut butter
Thickens the sauce and adds richness and nutty flavor.
Tomato paste
Adds acidity, color, and savory depth to the sauce.
Onion
Adds aroma and savory sweetness as it cooks into the broth.

The step that matters

Stir until thick. Peanut butter is dense and can scorch on the bottom of the pot or clump if heat is too high. Steady stirring over moderate heat spreads the heat and keeps the sauce smooth as it thickens.

“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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