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 ↓
Gravy
2 cupsIngredients
Directions
Make the roux
Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat.
Add flour, stirring constantly, and allow to cook until slightly browned. This creates a roux.
Make the gravy
Slowly add milk, whisking continuously to remove any lumps.
Add imitation bacon bits, and continue to cook until gravy thickens.
When thickened, remove from heat.
Stir in butter.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve
Serve over biscuits.
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 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Soy Sauce | 1 tbsp (15ml) | 9 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| 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).
-
Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Canola oil + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together566 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Canola oil + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together472 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, 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
- All-purpose flour
- Forms a roux with the oil that thickens the milk into a smooth gravy.
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base that the roux thickens into gravy.
- Canola oil
- Carries the flour and cooks it into a roux without burning.
- Imitation bacon bits
- Adds a smoky, savory flavor to the gravy.
- Butter
- Adds richness and a rounder flavor at the end.
The step that matters
Cooking the roux and adding the milk. Flour must cook in the hot oil until slightly browned to remove raw starch taste, then milk must be added slowly while whisking so the starch disperses evenly and lumps do not form.
“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
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.