Why it works: Egg and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 122,807 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Royal Wine Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Slowly bring the wine to a boil.
Add the egg yolks and sugar to the wine.
Whip the mixture over heat until it becomes frothy and slightly thick.
Remove from heat and use as directed.
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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Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Wine + sugartop 31% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together9,581 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Wine + eggtop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together6,918 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-heptenal (green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Wine
- Provides the liquid base and acidity that flavours the sauce.
- Egg yolks
- Thicken the sauce as they heat, giving it body and a smooth, rich texture.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps balance the tartness of the wine.
The step that matters
Whipping the mixture over heat. Egg yolks thicken when gently heated but can scramble if the heat is too high or they are left still. Keep the heat moderate and keep whisking so the sauce thickens smoothly.
“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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