Why it works: Flour and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 78,219 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Galettes De Pate
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
Beat the egg whites until stiff and set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until light.
Add the flour to the yolks and mix until very light.
Stir in the baking powder.
Gradually add the sweet milk and mix well.
Gently fold in the beaten egg whites to create a smooth batter.
Cook and serve
Preheat a griddle and lightly grease it with lard or fat bacon.
Drop spoonfuls of batter onto the griddle and cook for about 2 minutes until golden brown, flipping once.
Stack the cakes on a plate in a warm oven, buttering each one as it bakes.
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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Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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
- Whipped whites give the pancakes lift and a light, airy texture, while yolks add richness.
- All-purpose flour
- Provides the structure that holds the pancakes together as they cook.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas when heated, helping the pancakes rise and become fluffy.
- Sweet milk
- Adds moisture to form a loose batter and contributes to browning on the griddle.
The step that matters
Folding in the egg whites. Whites hold air from beating; stirring them in vigorously knocks that air out, leaving flatter pancakes. Fold gently so the batter stays light and fluffy.
“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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