Why it works: Butter and parmesan cheese are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,163 recipes. Both carry guaiacol, which smells smoky, sweet. The science ↓
Omelet Au Fromage
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Beat the eggs thoroughly.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
Cook the omelet
Pour in the eggs and season with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle the cheese over the eggs.
Shake the pan gently to prevent burning.
When the center is still soft, lift half of the omelet onto a plate and fold the other half over it.
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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Butter + parmesan cheesetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,163 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Pepper + parmesan cheesetop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,322 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
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Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Egg + parmesan cheesetop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,368 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
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Butter + peppertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together85,593 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Set into the structure of the omelet as they cook, forming its body.
- Butter
- Adds richness and helps keep the eggs from sticking to the pan.
- Parmesan cheese or grated american cheese
- Melts into the eggs, adding savory flavor and a creamy, rich texture.
The step that matters
Shake the pan gently to prevent burning. Eggs cook quickly over direct heat, and the bottom can scorch before the top sets. Gentle shaking keeps the egg moving so it cooks evenly and stays tender.
“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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