Why it works: Butter and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Eggs a LA Suisse
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the dish
Spread the bottom of a dish with 2 ounces of fresh butter.
Cover the butter with grated cheese.
Break 8 whole eggs on top of the cheese without breaking the yolks.
Season with red pepper and coarse sea salt if necessary.
Bake and brown
Pour a little cream on the surface and sprinkle 2 ounces of grated cheese on top.
Bake in a 350°F (175°C) oven for about 15 minutes.
Use a hot salamander to brown the top.
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 + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Butter + cheesetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,962 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Cheese + creamtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,655 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Cheese + peppertop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,861 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Set into a soft custard-like structure that forms the body of the dish.
- Grated cheese
- Melts and browns on top, adding savoury flavour and a golden crust.
- Fresh butter
- Adds richness and moisture and keeps the base from sticking to the dish.
- Cream
- Adds moisture and softness, keeping the surface tender as the eggs set.
The step that matters
Breaking the yolks. Eggs cooked on top of cheese can lose their shape if the yolks break, so keep them whole. Whole yolks also set gently and stay creamy in the oven rather than spreading into the cheese.
“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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