Why it works: Peas and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 22% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,065 recipes. Both carry 2-octenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Green Pea Royale Soup
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 the pea custard
Mash the warm green peas to a pulp.
Mix in the soup stock, cornstarch, and beaten egg white until thoroughly combined.
Spread the mixture in an earthenware pie plate.
Bake and set
Place the pie plate in a pudding dish filled with hot water, ensuring the water touches the bottom of the plate.
Cover and bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven until firm, about a few minutes.
Let it cool, then cut into diamonds or squares.
Serve
Add the pieces to the hot soup three minutes before serving, ensuring the soup does not boil.
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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Peas + eggtop 22% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,065 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-octenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Green peas
- Provide the main flavour and body of the custard once mashed to a pulp.
- Egg white
- Sets on heating to give the custard its firm, sliceable structure.
- Cornstarch
- Thickens the mixture and helps it hold its shape when cooked.
- Soup stock
- Adds savoury liquid that moistens the custard and seasons it.
The step that matters
Bake in a water bath until just firm. Egg white proteins set with gentle heat, and cornstarch thickens as it heats. The surrounding hot water keeps the edges from overcooking and turning rubbery or cracked. Once the custard is firm, stop baking so it 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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