Why it works: Raisin and flour match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,075 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
English Plum Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Mix raisins, currants, suet, flour, eggs, brandy, sweet wine, sugar, and spice together.
Tie the mixture tightly in a well-floured cloth.
Dip the cloth-wrapped pudding in hot water and boil for four hours, or boil in a pudding form.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| 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.
-
Raisin + flourtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Currant + brandytop 7% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,057 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
-
Raisin + curranttop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together6,180 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, creamy).
-
Raisin + brandytop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,768 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Flour and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 106,462 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
- Raisins
- Add sweetness and moisture to the dense pudding.
- Currants
- Add sweetness and moisture, along with a tart, fruity bite.
- Suet
- Adds fat that keeps the pudding moist and tender as it cooks.
- Flour
- Gives the pudding structure so it holds together when boiled.
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture and help it set firm as it cooks.
- Brandy
- Adds aroma and warmth to the finished pudding.
The step that matters
Boiling for four hours. The pudding must stay fully submerged in steadily boiling water for the whole time. If the water level drops or the boil weakens, the centre may stay undercooked and dense, and the cloth can scorch against the pot.
Swap the currant
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (raisin, flour, brandy, egg):
- Figfits better
- Vanillafits better
- Currantthe original
- Apricotfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against raisin, flour, brandy, 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.
You might also like
Brandy Peaches68 recipes
Red Currant Jelly65 recipes
Currant Ice Cream32 recipes
Brandy Cream21 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.