Why it works: Rhubarb and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,852 recipes. Both carry 1-penten-3-one, which smells fish, pungent. The science ↓
Rhubarb Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point. The book gives no cooking times either; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a mixing bowl, combine the chopped rhubarb, egg, and sugar. Mix well until fully combined.
Bake
Pour the mixture into a pie crust.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until set.
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.
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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Rhubarb + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,852 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
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Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Rhubarb + eggtop 31% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together570 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Rhubarb
- Provides the tart flavor and bulk of the filling.
- Egg
- Helps the filling set as it bakes, giving it a firm, sliceable texture.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the filling and balances the tartness of the rhubarb.
The step that matters
Baking until set. Underbaking leaves the egg proteins unset, so the filling stays runny and may not slice cleanly. Bake until the centre no longer jiggles heavily, since the egg sets as its proteins coagulate with heat.
Swap the rhubarb
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, sugar):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Nutmegfits better
- Rhubarbthe original
- Gingerfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, sugar. 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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