Why it works: Butter and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Potato Apples
Ingredients
Directions
Make the mixture
Mix ingredients in order given, and beat thoroughly.
Shape and coat
Shape in form of small apples.
Roll in flour, egg, and crumbs.
Fry and finish
Fry in deep fat.
Drain on brown paper.
Insert a clove at both stem and blossom end of each apple.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| 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.
-
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Potato + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,052 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Butter + cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,962 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Nutmeg + creamtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,920 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Potato + buttertop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,456 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Riced potatoes
- Provide the bulk and soft body of the fritter mixture.
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture and set during frying to hold the shape.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat for flavour and a tender interior.
- Grated cheese
- Adds savoury flavour and some fat to the mixture.
- Thick cream
- Adds moisture and richness to the soft mixture.
The step that matters
Roll in flour, egg, and crumbs. The flour, egg, and crumb coating must be even and complete, because it forms the crisp shell that holds the soft potato filling together in hot fat.
Swap the potato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, cheese, nutmeg, cream, egg):
- Potatothe original
- Spinachfits about as well
- Chivefits about as well
- Asparagusfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, cheese, nutmeg, cream, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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.
You might also like
Deep-Fried Potato Balls119 recipes
Cheese Balls97 recipes
Orange Potato Bread80 recipes
Cheese Cake55 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.