Why it works: Oyster and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 20% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,933 recipes. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓
Oyster Souffle
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point. The book gives no cooking times either; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Make the mixture
In a bowl, combine the chopped oysters, oyster juice, and milk. Mix well until fully combined.
Bake
Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set and lightly browned.
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.
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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Oyster + milktop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,933 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
- Oysters
- Provide the main flavor and protein that firms up as the dish heats and sets.
- Oyster juice
- Adds moisture and a briny flavor that carries through the dish.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and mild richness, keeping the texture soft.
The step that matters
Bake until set and lightly browned. Proteins set as the mixture heats, so the dish firms up. Baking too long dries it out and makes the texture tough, so check at the early end of the 25-30 minute range.
“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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