Why it works: Rice and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 28% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,350 recipes. Both carry (e,e)-2,4-decadienal, which smells fatty, deep fried. The science ↓
Casserol , or Rice, Edging for a Currie, or Fricassee
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point.
Prepare the rice
Soak and pick the rice fine.
Boil the rice in water with salt until tender, but not mushy.
Drain the rice and place it around the inner edge of the dish to a height of 2 inches.
Smooth the rice with the back of a spoon.
Brush the rice with the egg yolk.
Bake and serve
Bake in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 3 to 4 minutes.
Serve the meat in the center.
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.
-
Rice + eggtop 28% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,350 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Carolina rice
- Its starch sets as the cooked grains dry, forming a firm edge that holds its shape.
- Egg yolk
- Its proteins and fat brown in the oven and give the crust a golden, glossy finish.
The step that matters
Boil the rice until tender, but not mushy. Overcooked rice releases excess starch and turns soft and sticky, so it cannot hold its shape as a wall. Tender grains that are still firm pack together and set into a crust that stands up when baked.
“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
Rice Fritters84 recipes
Steamed Rice48 recipes
Rice Griddle Cakes28 recipes
Rice and Cheese Casserole23 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.