Why it works: Butter and bread 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 ↓
To Stew Cheese
Ingredients
Directions
Make the cheese mixture
Melt the butter in a cup of cream.
Mix in the grated cheese and beat well.
Assemble and serve
Place the toasted bread in a dish and pour the cheese mixture over it.
Brown the top with a salamander or under a broiler.
Serve hot.
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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Butter + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Cheese + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,130 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Butter + cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,962 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Cream + cheesetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,655 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
- Butter
- Adds richness and a smooth, silky texture to the sauce.
- Cream
- Provides moisture and body, helping the cheese melt into a smooth, pourable mixture.
- Good cheese
- Supplies the main flavor and, once melted, the creamy, binding texture of the topping.
- Toasted bread
- Acts as the base that soaks up the cheese mixture and holds it together.
The step that matters
Brown the top with a salamander or under a broiler. Cheese is browned quickly under high heat so the surface turns golden and flavorful. Too little heat or too long a time can dry out or toughen the cheese, while too much can scorch it before the topping is heated through.
“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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