Why it works: Cream and butter 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 ↓
Alsatian Quiche
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat the eggs with a whisk in a bowl.
Add the heavy cream and beat again.
Add the grated sweet onions and beat again.
Assemble
Sprinkle the cooked bacon in the bottom of the quiche shell.
Sprinkle the grated parmesan cheese over the bacon.
Pour the cream mixture over the bacon and parmesan.
Dot the top with small pieces of butter.
Place the quiche pan on a cookie sheet or other drip pan.
Bake and serve
Bake at 350°F until domed and light brown.
Cool for ½ hour before cutting and serving.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 8 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Parmesan Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 110 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Pastry | not in our table | 0 |
| Pie Crust | 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.
-
Cream + buttertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Parmesan cheese + buttertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,163 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Onion + buttertop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together42,912 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Onion + parmesan cheesetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,717 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Set the custard and give the filling its structure as it bakes.
- Heavy cream
- Adds richness and moisture, producing a silky, tender custard.
- Parmesan cheese
- Adds salty, savory flavor and browns on the surface as it bakes.
- Bacon
- Contributes smoky, salty flavor and fat to the filling.
- Sweet onions
- Add mild sweetness and aroma to the custard.
The step that matters
Bake until domed and light brown. Egg custard sets as its proteins coagulate with heat. Pulling it out too early leaves it runny in the center, while overbaking makes it firm, dry, and prone to cracking or weeping.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, cream, parmesan cheese, butter):
- Asparagusfits better
- Spinachfits better
- Potatofits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, cream, parmesan cheese, butter. 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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