Why it works: Butter and bread are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,232 recipes. Both carry delta-decalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Cheese Fondue
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Combine 1 cup scalded milk, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 cup soft bread crumbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 pound mild cheese.
Cut the cheese into small pieces.
Separate the yolks and whites of 3 eggs.
Make the mixture
Mix the first five ingredients.
Add the yolks of eggs, beating until lemon colored.
Cut and fold in the whites of eggs, beaten stiff.
Bake
Pour into a buttered dish and bake for twenty minutes in a moderate oven.
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 + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Bread + cheesetop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,130 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Butter + cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,962 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Milk + cheesetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,426 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
- Milk
- Provides the liquid that gives the base a smooth, pourable body.
- Mild cheese
- Supplies the main flavor and melts into the base to make it rich.
- Eggs
- Yolks thicken and enrich the base, while beaten whites add lift and airiness.
- Bread crumbs
- Absorb liquid and add soft body that helps hold the mixture together.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richness and smooth texture.
The step that matters
Folding in the beaten egg whites. Beaten whites trap air that expands in the oven and lifts the mixture. Stirring them in vigorously deflates the foam, so the dish bakes flat and dense. Fold gently with a wide motion.
“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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