Why it works: Almond and quince share more aroma than cooks usually use. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 69 recipes. Both carry 2-nonanone, which smells fruity, floral. The science ↓
Quince Blanc-mange, with Almond Cream
Ingredients
Directions
Blanch and finely grind the almonds to a smooth paste.
Add a few drops of water to prevent the almonds from becoming oily.
Pour the boiling quince juice over the almond paste and stir well.
Strain the mixture through a strong cloth to extract the cream.
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 + quincetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together69 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonanone (fruity, floral).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Blanched almonds
- Ground almonds supply fat and body, giving the set blanc-mange a creamy, smooth texture.
- Quince juice
- Natural pectin in the juice helps the mixture set as it cools and thickens.
The step that matters
Add a few drops of water while grinding the almonds. Grinding almonds releases their natural oil, which can separate and make the paste greasy. A little water keeps the paste smooth and emulsified, so the finished cream stays even.
“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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