Why it works: Cream and mushroom are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,500 recipes. Both carry 1-octen-3-one, which smells mushroom, metallic. The science ↓
Eggs Benedict I
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Dilute soup with ¾ cup water.
Split muffins, toast them, then cut each half into 8 wedges, trying to keep shape intact.
Assemble
Place ½ muffin in individual baking dish.
Cover each with 2 pieces Canadian bacon.
Make small hollow in center, break eggs into it.
Spoon over top ½ cup mushroom soup mixture.
Bake and serve
Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes.
Eggs should be set, but not hard cooked.
They will continue cooking a little after being removed from oven.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 5 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Soup | not in our table | 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.
-
Cream + mushroomtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,500 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
-
Mushroom + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,987 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Cream + eggtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together42,166 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Cream and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 42,166 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
- Cream of mushroom soup
- Forms a creamy sauce that moistens and flavors the dish.
- English muffins
- Provide a sturdy base that holds the bacon, egg and sauce.
- Canadian bacon
- Adds savory flavor and a meaty, chewy layer.
- Eggs
- Set in the oven to form the tender centre of the dish.
The step that matters
Bake until the eggs are just set. Egg proteins firm as they heat, so overbaking makes the eggs hard. They keep cooking from residual heat after leaving the oven, so take them out while the whites are set and the centers are still tender.
“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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