Why it works: Raisin and nutmeg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,377 recipes. Both carry alpha-terpineol, which smells lilac, floral. The science ↓
Plain Plum Pudding-
Ingredients
Directions
Combine half a pound of bread crumbs, half a pound of boiled potatoes, two ounces of butter, two eggs well beaten, half a pound of raisins, quarter pound of citron, one nutmeg, and half a cup of molasses. Mix with a little milk if not moist enough.
Boil for four hours in a mould.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Grape | 1/2 cup (76g) | 62 |
| Molasses | 1 tbsp (20g) | 58 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
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 + nutmegtop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,377 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral).
-
Butter + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,232 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Potato + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,052 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Raisin + molassestop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,577 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Butter + potatotop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,456 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture and add structure as they set during boiling.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat that softens the crumb texture.
- Bread crumbs
- Provide bulk and absorb moisture to form the pudding body.
- Potatoes
- Add moisture and a tender, dense body to the pudding.
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness, dark color and a deep flavor.
- Raisins
- Add sweetness and chewy texture throughout the pudding.
The step that matters
Adding milk. The mixture should be moist enough to hold together without being wet. Too little liquid makes the pudding crumbly, while too much makes it heavy and dense once boiled.
Swap the potato
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, bread, raisin, molasses, egg, nutmeg):
- Sweet potatofits better
- Shallotfits better
- Arrowrootfits about as well
- Potatothe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, bread, raisin, molasses, egg, nutmeg. 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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