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Breakfast

Breakfast Dishes

An egg omelet cooked in a pan, with a milk-and-whipped-white version and a French cream version given.

From an old cookbook · modernised transcription
By Towanda, Pa. Christ church. Young ladies society. [from old catalog] · From a historical cookbook (Internet Archive) · 6 ingredients
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Why it works: Cream and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,399 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓

Breakfast Dishes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the eggs

  1. Beat the six eggs separately, with the yolks seasoned with pepper and salt.

  2. Add eight tablespoons of milk to the yolks.

  3. Beat the whites until stiff.

Cook the omelet

  1. Put on the fire and cook just four minutes.

  2. Put in the oven and cook five minutes.

  3. Beat six eggs with three tablespoons of cream, a little salt and pepper. Beat well.

  4. Butter a hot spider.

  5. Cook quickly, loosening the edge often and drawing towards the centre.

  6. Do not turn the omelet until it is done and ready to turn on a hot plate.

  7. Serve quickly, as it becomes tough if it stands.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

284Calories
15 gProtein
19 gFat
14 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Milk1 cup (244ml) whole149
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Cream1 tbsp (15ml) heavy51
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Salt1 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.

By Towanda, Pa. Christ church. Young ladies society. [from old catalog]. Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

  1. Cream + milktop 18% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together29,399 recipes

    Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

  2. Egg + milktop 18% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together88,785 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

  3. Milk + peppertop 22% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together26,984 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  4. Cream + peppertop 23% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together21,449 recipes

    Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

  5. Cream + eggtop 24% of all pairs
    Smell alikelow
    Cooked together42,166 recipes

    Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).

Cream and pepper barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 21,449 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
Beaten whites trap air and set into the light, structured body of the omelet.
Milk
Adds moisture, so the eggs set softer and less dry.
Cream
Adds fat and richness, keeping the omelet tender.

The step that matters

Cook quickly, loosening the edge often and drawing towards the centre.. Egg proteins set with heat, and overcooking squeezes out moisture and makes them tough and rubbery. Moving the set edges inward lets uncooked egg reach the pan and cook gently and evenly.

“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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