Why it works: Sugar and gelatin are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,778 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Creams and Custards
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.
Prepare
Beat the eggs separately, whisking the whites and yolks until light and fluffy.
If using gelatin, soak it in cold water or milk for 1 hour, then dissolve it over a warm source.
For a smoother texture, strain the yolks through a fine mesh strainer before mixing.
Make the custard
In a saucepan, heat the milk until it just begins to foam, then stir in the sugar.
Gradually add the hot milk to the beaten yolks, mixing well to prevent curdling.
If using gelatin, stir it into the custard after removing it from heat.
Bake
Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake at 350°F (175°C) until the center is firm.
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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Sugar + gelatintop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,778 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Egg + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Sugar + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together77,875 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Milk + gelatintop 21% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,054 recipes
Shared aroma: maltol (caramel, sweet).
Sugar and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 77,875 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
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 as they set, giving it structure and a rich, creamy body.
- Milk
- Provides the liquid base and moisture that the egg proteins set within.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and softens the set custard's texture.
- Gelatin
- Adds extra setting power so the custard holds its shape more firmly.
The step that matters
Gradually add the hot milk to the beaten yolks. Adding hot liquid too quickly scrambles the egg yolks before they blend in, causing curdling. Adding it slowly while whisking tempers the yolks so they thicken smoothly.
“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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