Why it works: Asparagus and mushroom match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and 400 recipes mention both. Both carry 2,4-nonadienal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
The recipe
Ingredients
Contains: milk, wheat (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Make the sauce
Mix butter in saucepan and gradually add flour, stirring constantly.
Add asparagus juice, making a paste.
Add cream, stirring constantly until thick.
Add salt, pepper and cheese and stir until dissolved.
Add mushrooms.
Assemble and bake
Line bottom of casserole with one can of asparagus.
Cover with sauce and add second can of asparagus and cracker crumbs.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F.
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.
-
Asparagus + mushroomtop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together400 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-nonadienal (fatty, green).
-
Butter + mushroomtop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together12,516 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
-
Butter + cheddar cheesetop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together2,434 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Cheddar cheese + mushroomtop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together705 recipes
Shared aroma: methyl 2-methylbutyrate (apple, fatty).
-
Butter + creamtop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together41,494 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Butter
- Melts with flour to form a roux that thickens the sauce and adds richness.
- Flour
- Thickens the sauce with the butter, giving it body and structure.
- Whipping cream
- Adds fat and moisture, making the sauce smooth and creamy as it thickens.
- Cheddar cheese
- Adds savory flavor and fat, and helps the sauce turn rich and creamy.
- Asparagus
- Provides the main vegetable flavor and tender texture in the casserole.
The step that matters
Stirring the sauce as the cream is added. Flour thickens only when it is stirred into hot liquid; stirring constantly keeps the sauce smooth and prevents lumps from forming as it thickens.
“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.