Why it works: Butter and milk 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 ↓
Macaroni and Cheese Timbale
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the mould
Line the mould with cooked macaroni.
Fill the mould with a mixture of one cup cooked macaroni cut into small pieces and one-half cup grated cheese.
Make the sauce
Melt two tablespoonfuls of butter.
Stir in two tablespoonfuls of flour.
Add one cup of milk and stir until smooth.
Add one-half teaspoon of salt and paprika.
Stir in two slightly beaten eggs.
Mix the sauce with the macaroni and cheese.
Poach and serve
Fill the mould and poach in hot water until firm.
Serve surrounded by a white sauce.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 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 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| 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.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
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.
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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
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).
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Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Milk + flourtop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Butter and flour 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
- Set the custard so the timbale holds its shape when poached and turns firm.
- Flour
- Thickens the butter and milk into a smooth sauce that binds the macaroni and cheese.
- Cheese
- Adds rich flavor and body to the sauce while melting into the mixture.
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base of the sauce, giving it a creamy, pourable texture.
- Macaroni (in the method)
- Provides the body and bulk of the timbale, holding its shape once set.
The step that matters
Poach in hot water until firm. Gentle poaching in hot water, not boiling, lets the beaten eggs set evenly. Too much heat can curdle the eggs and leave the timbale spongy or cracked.
“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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