Why it works: Butter and milk match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and 81,222 recipes mention both. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓
The recipe
Ingredients
Contains: milk, wheat (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Prepare
Slice washed potatoes and soak in water.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Make the sauce
In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt 4 tablespoons butter.
Sprinkle flour into the butter and whisk in milk; whisk until lumps are gone and smooth.
Add the chicken with barley and cook until it boils.
Add chicken broth and cook until it boils, still whisking.
Assemble and bake
Coat the bottom of a 6x9 glass pan and layer sliced potatoes; when the pan is almost filled, add the soup mixture.
Cut 2 tablespoons butter into squares and top the potatoes.
Cover with foil and bake for an hour.
Uncover, add the rest of the mixture, and bake for an additional half hour.
Garnish as desired.
This recipe comes from the Recipes Wiki on Fandom and is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Our formatting and summaries are shared under the same licence.
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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Butter + milktop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together81,222 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Potato + chickentop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together2,756 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-decenal (green, must).
-
Potato + barleytop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together165 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Potato + milktop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together3,611 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, melon).
-
Chicken + milktop 6% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together4,387 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-hexanal (fruit).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potatoes
- Form the bulk of the casserole and absorb the creamy sauce as they bake.
- Butter
- Adds richness and flavor to the sauce and toppings, and helps the top brown.
- Flour
- Thickens the milk and broth mixture into a smooth, cohesive sauce.
- Milk
- Forms the creamy base of the sauce, adding moisture and mild sweetness.
- Chicken broth
- Adds savory liquid that loosens the sauce and keeps the casserole moist.
The step that matters
Whisking the flour into the butter and milk. Flour added to hot fat and liquid clumps unless whisked constantly; whisking spreads the starch evenly so it hydrates and thickens into a smooth sauce rather than lumps.
“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.
You might also like
Illustration
Illustration
Illustration
IllustrationThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.