Why it works: Butter and bread are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,232 recipes. Both carry delta-decalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Spinach and Parmesan Soufflé
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the spinach
Boil the spinach in salted water until tender.
Drain the spinach, finely chop, and set aside.
Make the base
In a pan, fry the flour with the butter a little.
Add the spinach to the pan and fry for a few minutes.
Add the sour cream to the pan.
Remove the pan from heat and mix well, adding the parmesan or other cheese.
Let the mixture cool.
Assemble and bake
Add the yolks one by one.
Fold in the whipped egg whites.
Set the mixture in a buttered and bread-crumbed mold.
Bake at medium heat until it rises.
Serve
Serve hot.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Parmesan Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 110 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Spinach | 1 cup raw (30g) | 7 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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.
-
Butter + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Cheese + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,130 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Cream + buttertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Cheese + buttertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,962 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Spinach + flourtop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,564 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Whipped whites trap air and lift the soufflé as it bakes, while yolks enrich the base.
- Spinach
- Provides the main body and earthy flavour, and its moisture is part of the custard-like base.
- Sour cream
- Adds richness and a slight tang, and moisture that keeps the base soft.
- Flour
- Fried with butter to form a roux that thickens the base and gives it structure.
- Parmesan cheese
- Adds savoury, salty flavour and helps the base brown lightly in the oven.
The step that matters
Folding in the whipped egg whites. Egg whites hold air only when whipped and folded in gently. Stirring or deflating the mixture removes that air, so the soufflé will rise poorly and turn dense.
Swap the spinach
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, cream, cheese, butter, egg, bread):
- Asparagusfits about as well
- Chivefits about as well
- Potatofits about as well
- Spinachthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, cream, cheese, butter, egg, bread. 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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