Why it works: Milk and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 88,785 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Creme Au Caramel
Ingredients
Directions
Make the caramel
Melt the sugar over low heat, stirring constantly until it begins to color.
Boil the isinglass in the milk until dissolved, then pour it over the caramel, stirring until fully combined.
Make the custard
Beat the egg yolks in a saucepan, then add the caramel and isinglass mixture.
Stir over low heat until thickened, then strain through a fine sieve.
Set and chill
Pour into a mold and refrigerate until 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.
-
Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Sugar + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together77,875 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Sugar and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 77,875 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 yolks
- Thicken the custard as they set and add richness.
- Isinglass
- Gelatin-like setting agent that firms the custard so it holds its shape.
- Milk
- Provides the liquid base and moisture for the custard.
- Pounded sugar
- Caramelizes for color and flavor and sweetens the custard.
The step that matters
Stir over low heat until thickened. Egg yolks thicken through gentle heat; if the heat is too high they can scramble and curdle, which is why straining through a fine sieve is needed to smooth the custard.
“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.
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.