Why it works: Chocolate and vanilla are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 10,020 recipes. Both carry sotolon, which smells curry, maple. The science ↓
Omelet Souffle, Chocolate
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderately hot oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
In another bowl, mix the egg yolks, caster sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined.
Make the batter
Gently fold the grated chocolate into the egg yolk mixture.
Carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture until just combined.
Bake
Pour the mixture into a greased baking dish and bake for 20-25 minutes until puffed and set.
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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Chocolate + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,020 recipes
Shared aroma: sotolon (curry, maple).
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Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Chocolate + sugartop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,404 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Egg + vanillatop 23% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together27,347 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Egg whites
- Whipped to stiff peaks, they trap air and give the soufflé-like lift and airy structure.
- Egg yolks
- Add richness and fat, and help bind the batter into a smooth, set custard.
- Caster sugar
- Sweetens the mixture and helps stabilise the whipped egg whites.
- Grated chocolate
- Adds flavour and richness, melting slightly into the batter as it bakes.
The step that matters
Folding the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Folding gently preserves the air whipped into the egg whites. Stirring or deflating them makes the mixture dense and stops it rising well in the oven.
“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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