Why it works: Rhubarb and cardamom work together. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and 35 recipes mention both. Both carry acetic acid, which smells sour, vinegar. The science ↓
The recipe
2-4Ingredients
Contains: egg, milk, wheat, tree nuts (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
- Pancakes
- Rhubarb Compote
Directions
Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.
Heat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Cut the rhubarb stalks into 2-inch pieces and toss them in a baking dish with the melted butter, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, cardamom and orange zest.
Roast the rhubarb for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once, until the pieces are soft but still holding their shape. Set aside to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, spread the whole hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, until fragrant. Cool, then chop coarsely.
In a bowl, whisk the whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder and salt, then stir in the chopped hazelnuts.
In a second bowl, whisk the eggs, 2 teaspoons maple syrup and ½ cup milk. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Add more milk, a tablespoon at a time, up to ¾ cup total, until the batter is thick but pourable.
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and brush lightly with the nut oil. Pour in about ¼ cup batter per pancake.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until bubbles form and the edges look set, then flip and cook until golden. Keep warm while you cook the rest.
Serve the pancakes topped with the warm roasted rhubarb compote.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Rhubarb + cardamomtop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together35 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
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Wheat + milktop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together2,416 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, melon).
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Milk + buttertop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together81,222 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Hazelnut + rhubarbtop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together15 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
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Hazelnut + cardamomtop 5% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together19 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
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