Why it works: Syrup and orange are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 23% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,179 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Oranges, Compote of
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the oranges
Peel the oranges and remove as much of the white pith as possible.
Divide the oranges into small pieces without breaking the skin.
Make the syrup
Make the syrup by adding the orange rind cut into thin strips.
Skim the syrup until clear.
Finish the compote
Add the orange pieces.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
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.
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Syrup + orangetop 23% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,179 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Oranges
- Provide the fruit pieces, juice and aromatic rind that give the compote its flavor.
- Syrup
- Liquid base that sweetens the fruit and carries flavor as it simmers.
The step that matters
Remove as much of the white pith as possible. White pith is bitter, and any left on the peel or pieces will carry that bitterness into the finished compote, so removing it thoroughly keeps the flavor clean and bright.
“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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