Why it works: Sugar and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 122,807 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Strengthening Jelly
Ingredients
Directions
Make the jelly
Soak the gelatine in the water for 2 hours.
Stir the soaked gelatine over low heat until melted.
Add the sherry and sugar, stirring to combine.
Beat the yolks of the eggs and add them to the mixture, stirring continuously.
Return the saucepan to low heat and stir until the jelly thickens, but do not let it boil.
Strain the mixture into a basin.
Set and chill
Stir occasionally until lukewarm, then pour into a mould that has been wetted with cold water.
Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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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Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Sherry + sugartop 22% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,141 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Sherry + eggtop 29% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,324 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Gelatine
- Sets the liquid into a firm, sliceable jelly as it cools.
- Eggs
- Yolks add richness and body, thickening the mixture slightly when gently heated.
- Sherry
- Adds flavour and aroma to the jelly.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the jelly to taste.
The step that matters
Thickening the yolks over low heat. Egg yolks thicken gently but scramble if they get too hot. Keeping the heat low and not letting the mixture boil prevents curdling and keeps the jelly smooth.
“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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