Why it works: Milk and vanilla are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 19,187 recipes. Both carry ethyl caproate, which smells fruity, apple peel. The science ↓
Baked Rice Custard with Brandy Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Make the custard
Spread rice in greased shallow 2-quart baking dish.
Blend 1/3 cup sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 2 cups milk, 3 eggs and vanilla; pour over rice.
Bake at 350°F for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and the top is lightly browned.
Make the brandy sauce
Blend remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, and remaining 2 eggs in the top of a double boiler; add remaining 1 cup milk.
Cook, stirring, for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Stir in brandy.
Spoon sauce over custard.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Rice | 1 cup cooked (158g) white | 206 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Vanilla | 1 tsp extract (4ml) | 12 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Brandy | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
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.
-
Milk + vanillatop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,187 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
-
Rice + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,374 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Sugar + vanillatop 8% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together35,032 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Vanilla + brandytop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Rice + vanillatop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,352 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Sugar and vanilla barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 35,032 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Set the custard and give it structure as they cook.
- Milk
- Provides the liquid that becomes a creamy custard and the thickened sauce.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps browning on the top of the custard.
- Cooked medium grain rice
- Forms the base of the custard, held in place by the set egg mixture.
The step that matters
Cooking the brandy sauce. Egg yolks and whole eggs thicken when heated gently but can scramble if too hot. Stirring over a double boiler keeps the heat even, so the sauce thickens smoothly without curdling.
“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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