Why it works: Almond and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 25% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 12,645 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
To Blanch and to Pound Almonds
Ingredients
Directions
Blanch and peel
Place the almonds in a saucepan with plenty of cold water and heat slowly.
When the water is just scalding, transfer the almonds to a basin and peel them.
Put the peeled almonds into cold water as you finish peeling each one.
Ensure the water is not too hot to prevent yellowing.
Dry the almonds well with a soft cloth before using.
Dry and pound
Dry the almonds in a warm room for 2-3 days on a large dish for easier pounding.
While pounding, sprinkle the almonds with a few drops of cold water, egg white, or lemon juice.
Pound the almonds to a smooth paste, preferably after roughly chopping them.
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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Almond + eggtop 25% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,645 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Almonds
- Form the paste's bulk and flavour; pounding them releases oils that bind into a smooth mass.
- Egg white
- Optional binder that helps the pounded almonds hold together as a smooth paste.
The step that matters
Keep the water from getting too hot when blanching. Water that is too hot can discolour the almonds, causing yellowing. Heating slowly and transferring the almonds once the water is just scalding keeps them pale and makes the skins slip off easily.
“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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