Why it works: Wine and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 13% of all ingredient pairs, and 8,645 recipes mention both. Both carry 2-furfurylthiol, which smells coffee, roasted. The science ↓
Maryland Wine Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Make the sauce
Beat together the egg yolks, brown sugar, and butter until well mixed.
Set the mixture over boiling water and gradually add the wine.
Stir until the sauce is thick and smooth like rich cream.
Serve
Serve hot.
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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Wine + buttertop 13% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together8,645 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-furfurylthiol (coffee, roasted).
-
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Sugar + winetop 31% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together9,581 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Egg yolks
- Thicken the sauce as they set with gentle heat, giving it a rich, smooth body.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a smooth, rich texture and a silky mouthfeel.
- Brown sugar
- Adds sweetness and a caramel-like depth of flavour.
- Wine
- Adds acidity and aroma, thinning the base while it is added gradually.
The step that matters
Stir over boiling water. Egg yolks thicken at gentle heat but can scramble if overheated. Setting the bowl over simmering water, not direct boiling, and stirring constantly keeps the sauce 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.
You might also like
Wine Sauce (for stewed fruit)186 recipes
Wine Sauce for Sweet Puddings6 recipes
Caper Sauce180 recipes
Brown Sauce141 recipesThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.