Why it works: Milk and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 81,283 recipes. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓
Zucchini Soufflé
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the zucchini
Cut the zucchini into pieces and boil in salted water for a few minutes.
Drain well and then grind.
Mix with the cheese and then set aside.
Make the base
In a pan, fry the flour with the butter for a little while.
Add the milk, stirring continuously.
Remove from heat and add the yolks one by one.
Add sour cream, dill, and finally the whipped egg whites.
Bake and serve
Mix with the zucchini paste and set into a buttered mold.
Bake at medium heat and serve hot.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Yogurt | 170g plain Greek | 100 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Dill | 5 sprigs fresh (1g) / 1 tsp dried | 4 |
| 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.
-
Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
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).
-
Cheese + milktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,426 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Whipped whites lift the mixture and the yolks enrich it, giving the soufflé its airy, set structure.
- Flour
- Cooked with butter and milk, it thickens the base so it holds the zucchini and whipped whites.
- Zucchini (in the method)
- Provides the main bulk and moisture of the soufflé.
- Sour cream
- Adds moisture and richness to the base, softening the texture.
- Sheep's cheese
- Adds salty, savoury flavour and some richness to the zucchini mixture.
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base with the flour, creating a smooth sauce that carries the other ingredients.
The step that matters
Folding in the whipped egg whites. Whipped whites trap air that expands in the oven to lift the soufflé. Overmixing deflates them, so fold gently to keep the mixture light and airy.
Swap the dill
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, flour, cream, cheese, milk, butter):
- Nutmegfits better
- Cinnamonfits better
- Capersfits better
- Dillthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, flour, cream, cheese, milk, 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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