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 ↓
Souffléd Fritters
Ingredients
Directions
Make the paste
Put one pint of water, three and a half ounces of butter, a pinch of salt and two pinches of sugar into a saucepan and boil.
Take the saucepan off the heat and add two‑thirds pound of sifted flour, mixing until smooth.
Dry this paste as directed for pâte à choux (No. 2373).
Finish the paste, away from the heat, by adding seven eggs one by one. Flavor according to taste.
Fry and serve
Take portions the size of small walnuts and drop them into moderately hot fat, gradually increasing the heat to ensure the paste rises.
When the fritters are dry outside, drain them; serve on a napkin and sprinkle with icing sugar.
En Surprise variant
(For the "en Surprise" variant) When removing the fritters from the fat, open them slightly and garnish with stewed fruit, jam, a thickened fruit salpicon, or cream such as frangipan or pastry cream.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Water | 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.
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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
- Flour (in the method)
- Its starch sets with the boiled liquid to form a paste that holds the fritter's shape.
- Eggs
- Their proteins set during frying, and their moisture turns to steam that puffs the paste.
- Butter (in the method)
- Melts into the boiling water, adding richness and a tender texture to the paste.
- Sugar
- Adds mild sweetness and helps the outside of the fritters brown in the hot fat.
The step that matters
Frying at a gradually rising heat. If the fat is too hot at the start, the outside sets and browns before the interior has expanded, so the fritter stays dense. Starting moderately hot and raising the heat gradually lets the steam inflate the paste first, then the surface dries and sets.
“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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