Why it works: Butter and bread are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,232 recipes. Both carry delta-decalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Cheese Au Gratin
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Add the beaten yolks, salt, pepper, cheese, milk, and melted butter; mix well.
Grease ramekins with butter and fill them with the mixture.
Sprinkle a light covering of bread crumbs on top.
Bake
Bake in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes.
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 + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Cheese + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,130 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Cheese + buttertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,962 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Cheese + milktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,426 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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 mixture lift and a light, airy structure when baked.
- Cheese
- Provides the rich, savory flavor and melts into the custard for body.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and loosens the mixture so it sets into a soft custard.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat, and helps the topping brown lightly.
- Bread crumbs
- Form a light crust on top that adds texture and some browning.
The step that matters
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stiff whites trap air that expands in the oven and gives the dish its lift. Under-beaten whites collapse, and over-mixing them once folded in deflates the foam.
“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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