Why it works: Sugar and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Spanish Custard
Ingredients
Directions
Make the custard
Soak the gelatin in cold water, then dissolve it in boiling water.
Beat the yolks, sugar, and salt together.
Scald the cream and pour it over the egg and sugar mixture.
Return to a double boiler and cook until it thickens.
Add the dissolved gelatin and the beaten egg whites, then remove from heat.
Flavor with essence, wine, or preserved orange/lemon peel.
Set and serve
Pour into a mold and refrigerate until set.
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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Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
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Cream + winetop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,887 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
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Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Cream + eggtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together42,166 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
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Sugar + winetop 31% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together9,581 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Cream and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 42,166 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
- Egg yolks
- Thicken the custard as they cook and add richness and colour.
- Egg whites
- Add airy structure to the custard, giving it a lighter texture.
- Thin cream
- Adds fat and richness, giving the custard a smooth, soft mouthfeel.
- Gelatine
- Sets the custard so it holds its shape when chilled in a mold.
- Granulated sugar
- Sweetens the custard and helps soften the egg yolks for smooth blending.
The step that matters
Cook in the double boiler until it thickens. Egg yolks thicken gently at low, even heat; overheating can curdle them and leave the custard grainy. Gentle heat keeps it smooth.
“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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