Why it works: Swiss cheese and parmesan cheese match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 151 recipes. Both carry ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, which smells fruity, apple. The science ↓
Cheese Soufflé with Pastry
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Line the sides of ramequin dishes with strips of puff pastry.
Make the mixture
Add eggs to cream and beat slightly, then add cheese and seasonings.
Bake
Fill dishes with mixture until two-thirds full.
Bake fifteen minutes in a hot oven.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Cheese | 1 oz (28g) cheddar | 113 |
| Parmesan Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 110 |
| Swiss Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 108 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| 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.
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Swiss cheese + parmesan cheesetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together151 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Cheese + parmesan cheesetop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,041 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Swiss cheese + cheesetop 4% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together65 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
-
Pepper + nutmegtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together13,015 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Cream + nutmegtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,920 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Set the mixture and give the soufflé its structure as they cook.
- Thick cream
- Adds richness and moisture, keeping the custard smooth and tender.
- Swiss cheese
- Melts into the custard, adding flavour and a creamy texture.
- American cheese
- Melts smoothly, adding body and a mild, creamy cheese flavour.
- Parmesan cheese
- Adds a sharp, savoury flavour and browns on the surface as it bakes.
The step that matters
Fill dishes to two-thirds full. Eggs expand as they cook and the mixture rises. Overfilling can cause the soufflé to spill over and bake unevenly, while underfilling leaves it short of lift.
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, cream, swiss cheese, cheese, parmesan cheese, pepper):
- Nutmegthe original
- Celeryfits about as well
- Garlicfits about as well
- Thymefits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, cream, swiss cheese, cheese, parmesan cheese, pepper. 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.
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