Why it works: Bread and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and 27,232 recipes mention both. Both carry delta-decalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Baked Eggplant. No. 1
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Steam the eggplant and remove the skin.
Mix the eggplant with the other ingredients and beat well.
Bake and serve
Place the mixture in a pan and cover with grated bread.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) until brown.
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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Bread + buttertop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Cream + buttertop 8% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Eggplant + peppertop 8% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together1,123 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Bread + chickentop 14% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together2,258 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity).
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Chicken + buttertop 15% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together13,902 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-furfurylthiol (coffee, roasted).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggplant
- Forms the soft, moist body of the dish once steamed and beaten.
- Grated bread
- Forms a crisp, golden topping that browns in the oven.
- Butter
- Adds fat and richness, contributing to a smooth texture and flavor.
- Cream
- Adds fat and moisture, making the mixture richer and smoother.
- Chicken broth
- Adds liquid and savory flavor to the mixture.
The step that matters
Bake until brown. The bread topping needs enough heat and time to brown properly. Stopping too early leaves it pale and soft, while baking too long can dry out the mixture underneath.
“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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