Why it works: Butter and parmesan cheese are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,163 recipes. Both carry guaiacol, which smells smoky, sweet. The science ↓
Orleans Omelet
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the egg mixture
In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and whites together until well mixed.
Stir in the French beans, grated Parmesan cheese, pepper, and coarse sea salt.
Cook and serve
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat.
Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and cook until set, then fold and serve.
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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Butter + parmesan cheesetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,163 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Beans + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,733 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Parmesan cheese + peppertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,322 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).
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Beans + parmesan cheesetop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together219 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine (cocoa, roasted).
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Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Provide the structure that sets into the body of the omelet when heated.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat, helping the eggs release and brown lightly in the pan.
- Parmesan cheese
- Adds savory, salty flavor and a little umami to the eggs.
- French beans
- Add texture and a fresh vegetable bite to the filling.
The step that matters
Cook until set, then fold. Eggs cook quickly over medium heat; pulling them off the heat while the top is still slightly moist keeps the omelet tender, while overcooking makes them tough and dry.
Swap the beans
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, butter, parmesan cheese, pepper):
- Walnutfits better
- Peasfits about as well
- Beansthe original
- Pecansfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, butter, parmesan cheese, pepper. 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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