Why it works: Bread and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,232 recipes. Both carry delta-decalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Cheese Fondue
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a slow oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the fondue
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
In a bowl, mix the milk, bread crumbs, cheese, butter, and salt.
Add the egg yolks and beat until lemon colored.
Bake
Gently fold in the beaten egg whites until stiff.
Pour the mixture into a buttered baking dish.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
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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Bread + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Milk + buttertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Bread + cheesetop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,130 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Cheese + buttertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,962 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Milk + cheesetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,426 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Whipped egg whites trap air, giving the fondue a light, puffed structure as it bakes.
- Cheese
- Melts into the custard, adding richness, flavor, and a creamy texture.
- Milk
- Provides the liquid that softens the bread and forms the custard base.
- Stale bread crumbs
- Absorb the milk and help thicken the mixture so it holds its body.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richness and a smooth, tender texture.
The step that matters
Gently fold in the beaten egg whites. Egg whites hold air only while whole; vigorous stirring deflates them, and the fondue then bakes flat and dense instead of light and puffed.
“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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