Why it works: Egg and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 17% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 118,967 recipes. Both carry decanal, which smells soap, orange peel. The science ↓
Souffle, Omelet
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the batter
In a bowl, combine the yolks of 2 eggs, 1 tablespoon sugar, and a few drops of flavoring.
Stir the mixture for 10 minutes.
On a dry plate, beat the whites of 3 eggs with a tiny pinch of sugar until stiff.
Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture.
Cook and bake
Melt ½ ounce of butter in an omelet pan.
Pour the egg mixture into the pan.
Cook on low heat for 2 minutes.
Transfer the omelet to a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) and bake for 5-7 minutes until golden brown.
Fill and serve
Turn the omelet onto a sheet of paper.
Sprinkle sifted sugar over the omelet.
Add 1 tablespoon of jam on one side of the omelet.
Fold the omelet.
Serve immediately.
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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Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 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).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Whipped whites trap air and yolks set into a light, tender structure as the omelet cooks.
- Jam
- Adds sweetness and fruity flavor, and its moisture contrasts with the airy omelet.
- Butter
- Coats the pan and adds richness and browning to the omelet's surface.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the yolks and stabilizes the whites when whipped.
The step that matters
Folding the beaten whites into the yolks. Stirring instead of folding deflates the whipped whites, removing the air that makes the omelet rise. Fold gently, keeping the batter as light as possible, so the omelet stays soufflé-like 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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