Why it works: Milk and cheese are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,426 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Cheese Fondu
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a very quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure. The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Beat the egg whites and yolks separately until very light.
Make and bake
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes.
Serve
Serve immediately.
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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Milk + cheesetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,426 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Cheese + eggtop 28% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,253 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Whipped separately, the whites and yolks give the fondue lift and a light, airy structure.
- Cheese
- Melts and sets during baking, providing the rich flavor and creamy body of the fondue.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and loosens the mixture so the crackers and eggs blend evenly.
- Chopped crackers
- Absorb liquid and help bind the mixture, giving it body as it bakes.
The step that matters
Beating the egg whites and yolks separately. Whites beaten until very light trap air that expands in the oven, so the fondue rises and stays light. Yolks beaten separately blend in smoothly without deflating 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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