Why it works: Fig and lemon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 763 recipes. Both carry alpha-pinene, which smells pine, turpentine. The science ↓
Fig Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Combine the chopped figs, candied citron, candied lemon peel, and eggs in a mixing bowl, and mix well until all ingredients are fully incorporated.
Transfer the mixture to a pudding mold.
Cook
Boil or steam the pudding for 3 hours.
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.
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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Fig + lemontop 11% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together763 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-pinene (pine, turpentine).
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Lemon + eggtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together44,316 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
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Fig + eggtop 27% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,406 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
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
- Figs
- Provide the main sweetness, moisture, and fruity body of the pudding.
- Eggs
- Bind the fruit together and help the pudding set as it cooks.
- Candied citron
- Adds concentrated sweetness and a chewy, aromatic fruit texture.
- Candied lemon peel
- Adds bright aromatic flavour and chewy texture that cuts through the sweetness.
The step that matters
Boil or steam the pudding for 3 hours. Cooking gently over a long period sets the eggs slowly so the pudding becomes firm and cohesive without curdling or drying out. Keeping the water at a steady simmer and the mold sealed helps maintain even moisture throughout.
Swap the fig
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (lemon, egg):
- Orangefits better
- Limefits better
- Raspberryfits better
- Figthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against lemon, 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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