Why it works: Milk and vanilla are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 19,187 recipes. Both carry ethyl caproate, which smells fruity, apple peel. The science ↓
Sweet Potato Soufflé I
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the filling
Peel potatoes, slice and cook in water until tender.
Beat with electric mixer until smooth.
Add margarine, sugar, salt, eggs, milk and vanilla. Mix well (it looks thin).
Bake and top
Pour into a greased casserole dish and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes or until it looks firm.
Mix topping ingredients and cover top of potatoes.
Bake 10 minutes or until brown.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
| 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 + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,187 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
-
Sweet potato + vanillatop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together189 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Sweet potato + milktop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together596 recipes
Shared aroma: 4-heptenal (creamy, biscuit).
-
Sweet potato + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,151 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 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
- Bind the mixture and help it set into a firm, sliceable custard as it bakes.
- Sweet potatoes
- Provide the bulk, body and moisture of the soufflé.
- Margarine
- Adds fat for richer flavour and a softer, more tender texture.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and loosens the mixture so it bakes evenly.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the filling and helps the top brown during baking.
The step that matters
Bake until firm, then brown the top. Eggs set as they heat, so underbaking leaves the centre loose while overbaking can dry it out. The topping browns only after the filling has set, so the two bakes need to be watched closely.
Swap the sweet potato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, egg, milk, vanilla):
- Sweet potatothe original
- Arrowrootfits about as well
- Capsicumfits less well
- Asparagusfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, egg, milk, vanilla. 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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