Why it works: Peanut and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 877 recipes. Both carry 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine, which smells roasted, nutty. The science ↓
Spicy Garlic Oil
Ingredients
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a large stockpot.
Heat over low heat for 1 hour.
Strain, cool, and store in the refrigerator until oil smells off, looks smoky, or tastes rancid.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 8 ingredients. The other 3 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Peanut | 1 oz (28g) | 161 |
| Canola | 1 tbsp (14g) | 124 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Smoke | not in our table | 0 |
| Safflower | not in our table | 0 |
| Soybean | 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.
-
Peanut + garlictop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together877 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).
-
Clove + garlictop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,368 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Peanut + clovetop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together205 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Garlic
- Gives the oil its aroma and flavor as it slowly infuses into the warm oil.
- Thai bird chiles
- Add heat and fruity pungency to the oil as their compounds dissolve into it.
- Oil
- Carries the flavors of garlic and chiles and makes up nearly all of the finished product.
The step that matters
Heating over low heat. Gentle, low heat lets garlic and chiles release flavor into the oil without scorching the garlic, which turns bitter and can make the oil taste acrid.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (peanut, garlic):
- Corianderfits better
- Cuminfits better
- Gingerfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against peanut, garlic. 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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