Why it works: Milk and lemon are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 15% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 19,053 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Italian Cream
Ingredients
Directions
Make the custard
Put the cream and milk into a saucepan, with sugar to sweeten, and the lemon rind.
Boil until the milk is well flavored.
Strain into a basin.
Add the beaten yolks of eggs.
Put this mixture into a jug.
Place the jug in a saucepan of boiling water over the fire.
Stir the contents until they thicken, but do not allow them to boil.
Take the cream off the fire.
Set and serve
Stir in the lemon juice and melted isinglass.
Whip well.
Fill a mould.
Place it in ice if at hand.
When set, turn it out on a dish.
Garnish as taste may dictate.
Whip and drain mixture, then put into small glasses if preferred.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 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.
-
Milk + lemontop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,053 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Milk + creamtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together29,399 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Lemon + eggtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together44,316 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
-
Cream + eggtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together42,166 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Lemon and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 44,316 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
- Egg yolks thicken the cream mixture as it gently heats, giving it a smooth, set body.
- Cream
- Provides fat and richness, giving the dessert a smooth, creamy texture.
- Milk
- Adds liquid and body, and carries the lemon rind flavour as it boils.
- Isinglass (in the method)
- A gelatin-like setting agent that firms the mixture so it holds its shape when turned out.
The step that matters
Stir until thickened, without boiling. Egg yolks thicken through gentle heat, but if the mixture boils they can curdle and turn grainy, ruining the smooth texture.
Swap the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (milk, cream, egg):
- Vanillafits better
- Strawberryfits better
- Raspberryfits better
- Lemonthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against milk, cream, 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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