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 ↓
Egg Flip
Ingredients
Directions
In a tumbler, stir the egg yolk and sugar together until creamy.
Add the sherry or brandy and mix well.
Whip the egg white to stiff peaks and gently fold it into the mixture.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Sugar + sherrytop 22% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,141 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Egg + sherrytop 29% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,324 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Egg
- The yolk adds richness and body, while the whipped white gives the drink its light, airy foam.
- Castor sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps stabilise the whipped egg white so its foam holds.
- Sherry or brandy
- Adds the main flavour and aroma, balancing the sweetness of the sugar.
The step that matters
Folding in the whipped egg white. Whip the white only to stiff peaks, then fold gently. Overwhipping makes the foam dry and grainy, and vigorous stirring deflates the air that gives the drink its lightness.
“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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