Name: Charlotte Russe
Ingredients: 1 ounce good isinglass; 1 cup new milk; 6 egg yolks; 1 pound fine sugar; 1 pint good cream; 12 egg whites; vanilla extract; spongecake (for lining the molds)

Why it works: Milk and vanilla are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 19,187 recipes. Both carry ethyl caproate, which smells fruity, apple peel. The science ↓

Charlotte Russe

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the custard

Dissolve the isinglass in the milk.
Beat the egg yolks and sugar together until well combined.
Strain the dissolved isinglass into the yolk mixture.

Make the cream mixture

Whip the cream to a froth.
Beat the egg whites to a froth.
Add the whipped cream and beaten egg whites.
Fold gently.
Flavor with vanilla.
Chill until slightly thickened.

Set and freeze

Line the molds with sponge cake.
Pour in the cream mixture.
Freeze for 5 to 6 hours.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together19,187 recipes

Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together35,032 recipes

Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together43,450 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
Cream + vanillatop 15% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together12,301 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonanone (fruity, floral).
Milk + creamtop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together29,399 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).

Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 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

Isinglass: Gelatin-like setting agent that firms the mixture so it holds its shape when chilled.
Egg yolks: Enrich the custard and add richness and body to the mixture.
Egg whites: Whipped to a foam, they lighten the mixture and add airy structure.
Cream: Whipped to a froth, it adds richness and a light, creamy texture.
Sugar: Sweetens the custard and helps the yolks blend smoothly.