Why it works: Butter and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 81,283 recipes. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓
Potato Souffle
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a brisk oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Bake and scoop the potatoes
Wash and scrub the potatoes in cold water, then dry them.
Bake the potatoes in a 400°F (200°C) oven for about 45 minutes, checking for doneness with an iron skewer.
Once soft, remove from the oven and cut each potato in half, keeping the skins intact.
Scoop out the insides carefully with a small teaspoon.
Make the potato base
Pass the potato insides through a wire sieve into a plate using a wooden spoon.
In a clean saucepan, melt the butter with the milk over medium heat, stirring occasionally until boiling.
Season with pepper and salt to taste, then gradually stir in 3 ounces of the potato mixture until smooth.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Finish and bake
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Stir in the egg yolks one at a time into the potato mixture, mixing well.
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the potato mixture.
Place the potato skins on a baking tin and fill each with the mixture.
Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 10 minutes until risen and golden brown.
Serve arranged in a napkin.
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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Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Potato + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,305 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Potato + milktop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,611 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, melon).
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Potato + buttertop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,456 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
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Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potatoes
- Provide the starchy bulk and body that holds the soufflé mixture together.
- Eggs
- Whipped whites trap air for lift, while yolks enrich and help the mixture set.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richness and a smooth, tender texture.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and loosens the potato into a smooth, pourable base.
The step that matters
Folding in the egg whites. Whites hold air only when whipped to stiff peaks, and vigorous stirring deflates them. Fold gently so the air stays in and the soufflé rises during baking.
Swap the potato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, milk, egg, pepper):
- Capsicumfits about as well
- Potatothe original
- Asparagusfits about as well
- Chivefits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, milk, egg, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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