Why it works: Butter and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Potato Souffle
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the potato base
Steam the potatoes in their jackets until done.
Peel and mash the potatoes while hot.
Add butter, cream, salt, and pepper to the mashed potatoes and beat until smooth and light.
Fold and bake
Beat the egg whites to stiff peaks and gently fold into the potato mixture.
Heap the mixture in a baking dish or drop spoonfuls onto greased paper.
Dust with grated cheese and bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven until golden brown.
Serve hot.
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.
-
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Butter + cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,962 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Potato + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,305 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + buttertop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,456 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Potato + cheesetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together959 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potatoes
- Provide the starchy bulk that gives the soufflé its soft, light body.
- Egg whites
- Whipped to stiff peaks, they trap air that lifts and sets the mixture as it bakes.
- Cream
- Adds moisture and richness, keeping the mashed potato smooth and tender.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richness and a smoother, softer texture in the mash.
- Grated cheese
- Browns on the surface in the oven, adding colour and savoury flavour.
The step that matters
Fold the egg whites gently. Stiff egg whites hold air bubbles that make the soufflé rise. Stirring or deflating them vigorously knocks out that air, leaving a dense result instead of a light one.
Swap the potato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, cream, pepper, egg, cheese):
- Potatothe original
- Capsicumfits about as well
- Asparagusfits about as well
- Spinachfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, cream, pepper, egg, cheese. 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.
More potato soufflé recipes
You might also like
Potato Croquettes255 recipes
Macaroni and Cheese102 recipes
Potato Rolls78 recipes
Potato Chips53 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.