Why it works: Apple and clove are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,774 recipes. Both carry ethyl octanoate, which smells fruity, wine. The science ↓
Flan Op Apples
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the apples
Peel, core, and cut each apple into 8 sections.
Place the apples in a saucepan with cloves and sherry (if using).
Cover and cook in a water bath until tender but not breaking apart.
Bake the crust
Roll out the pastry to about ½ inch thick.
Line a 6-inch flan ring with the pastry.
Fill the pastry with rice on greased paper.
Bake the pastry at 400°F (200°C).
Remove the rice and paper.
Assemble and bake
Arrange the apples in a pyramid.
Strain any juice over the apples.
Sprinkle the apples with sugar.
Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks.
Spread the whipped egg whites over the apples.
Dredge the apples with castor sugar.
Bake at 300°F (150°C) until lightly browned.
Serve hot or cold.
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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Apple + clovetop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,774 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
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Apple + sherrytop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together395 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine (green bell pepper, earthy).
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Sherry + clovetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,237 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
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Apple + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together16,478 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Apple and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 16,478 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
- Apples
- Provide the main body and tart flavour of the filling, softening as they cook.
- Egg whites
- Whipped to stiff peaks, they form a light topping that sets and browns in the oven.
- Pastry
- Forms the crisp, sturdy base that holds the apple filling.
- Moist sugar
- Adds sweetness and a caramel note to the apples.
- Sherry
- Adds aroma and a fruity depth to the cooked apples.
The step that matters
Cook the apples until tender but not breaking apart. Apples that are overcooked collapse into a purée and release excess liquid, which can make the flan soggy. Stopping when they are just tender keeps their shape and gives a firmer filling.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (apple, sugar, sherry, egg):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Nutmegfits about as well
- Clovethe original
- Gingerfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against apple, sugar, sherry, egg. 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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