Why it works: Sugar and nutmeg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 20% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 23,364 recipes. Both carry 1-penten-3-one, which smells fish, pungent. The science ↓
Cup Custard
Ingredients
Directions
Make the custard mixture
Break an egg into a cup, add 2 teaspoons sugar, and beat thoroughly.
Add a pinch of salt and a little grated nutmeg.
Fill up the cup with good, sweet milk.
Bake and serve
Turn into another well-buttered cup.
Set in a pan of boiling water reaching nearly to the top of the cup.
Put in the oven, and when the custard is set it is done.
Serve cold.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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.
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Sugar + nutmegtop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together23,364 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Sugar and nutmeg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 23,364 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
- Egg (in the method)
- Proteins set when heated, turning the liquid mixture into a firm custard.
- Milk (in the method)
- Provides the liquid base that the egg sets into a soft, tender custard.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness to the custard.
- Nutmeg
- Adds a warm, aromatic spice flavour.
The step that matters
Set in a pan of boiling water. The surrounding water bath keeps the custard's heat gentle and even. Egg proteins set smoothly at moderate temperatures, while overheating makes the custard grainy, curdled or watery.
“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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