Why it works: Sugar and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 122,807 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
★ Floating Island No. 2
Ingredients
Directions
Make the custard
Combine 1 pint of milk, 3 eggs, ¼ cup sugar, and ½ glass jam or jelly.
Boil the custard of yolks, sugar, and milk; when cold, flavor or not, and pour into a glass dish.
Top and serve
Beat the egg whites to stiff froth, then fold in any desired jam or jelly.
Beat until very firm, then drop onto the custard.
Serve with cake or wafers.
Flavor and finish
Mix raspberry jelly or jam with 1 tablespoon currant jelly for flavor.
Line the dish with lady fingers or slices of sponge cake before pouring the custard.
Use water instead of milk for the custard if desired.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
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.
-
Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Yolks thicken the custard, and whites whipped to foam form the light topping.
- Milk (in the method)
- Provides the liquid base that the egg yolks set into a smooth custard.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the custard and helps stabilize the whipped egg whites.
- Jam or jelly
- Adds fruity sweetness and flavor to the custard and the folded topping.
The step that matters
Beating the egg whites. Whites must be beaten to stiff, firm peaks so their trapped air holds the shape on the custard. Under-beaten whites slump and weep, while overbeaten whites turn dry and grainy.
“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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