Why it works: Milk and nutmeg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,685 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓
Fig Pudding
eight people generouslyIngredients
Directions
Prepare
Roll 12 soda crackers finely.
Chop 2 lb. figs finely.
Chop 1 cup suet finely.
Make the batter
Add 1 cup milk and dissolve 2 teaspoonfuls soda in it.
Add 4 teaspoonfuls brandy and 1/2 nutmeg.
Beat 2 eggs well, then add 1 cup sugar.
Mix all ingredients in the order given.
Steam and serve
Steam for four hours.
Serve with wine or hard sauce.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 6 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| 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.
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. See the original page.
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 + nutmegtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,685 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Brandy + nutmegtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,311 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Milk + brandytop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,738 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, sweet).
-
Nutmeg + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together24,744 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Brandy + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,340 recipes
Shared aroma: acetoin (butter, cream).
Nutmeg and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 24,744 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
- Figs (in the method)
- Provide the bulk, moisture and sweet fruit flavour of the pudding.
- Suet (in the method)
- Adds fat that keeps the pudding moist and tender as it steams.
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture together and help it set as it cooks.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps keep the pudding moist.
- Soda crackers
- Crumbs add body and help bind the mixture together.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and turns the dry ingredients into a loose batter.
The step that matters
Steam for four hours. Steaming is gentle, moist heat that sets the pudding through without drying it out. The long steam gives the crumbs, eggs and suet time to set into a dense, moist pudding.
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (milk, brandy, sugar, egg):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Nutmegthe original
- Gingerfits less well
- Clovefits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against milk, brandy, sugar, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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