Why it works: Bread and parmesan cheese work together. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 577 recipes. Both carry guaiacol, which smells smoky, sweet. The science ↓
Potatoes a LA Creme Au Gratin
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Chop cold boiled potatoes.
Put them in a baking dish.
Top and bake
Pour over them a cupful of white sauce nicely seasoned.
Sprinkle with a tablespoonful of grated Parmesan cheese or Edam cheese grated.
Sprinkle with one tablespoonful of bread crumbs.
Dot all over with tiny bits of butter.
Put in a quick oven for a few minutes to brown.
Keep an eye on it; do not leave it too long, or it will become dry.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 3 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Parmesan Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 110 |
| Sauce | 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.
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.
-
Bread + parmesan cheesetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together577 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Sauce + parmesan cheesetop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,294 recipes
Shared aroma: decanoic acid (soapy, waxy).
-
Bread + saucetop 22% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,934 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potatoes (in the method)
- Form the bulk of the dish, absorbing the white sauce and giving body to each serving.
- White sauce
- Supplies moisture and richness so the potatoes stay creamy rather than dry.
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Adds savoury flavour and helps the top brown in the oven.
The step that matters
Watch the time in the oven. A few minutes in a quick oven is enough to brown the top. Leaving it longer dries out the sauce and potatoes, so the gratin loses its creaminess.
“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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