Why it works: Flour and syrup are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,540 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Fine Hominy
Ingredients
Directions
Bring water to a boil and add coarse sea salt.
Gradually sprinkle in cornmeal while stirring constantly until it forms a thick, smooth batter.
Stir in a handful of all-purpose flour to help bind the mixture.
Pour the mixture into a baking tin to mold for frying.
Once set, cut into slices and fry slowly in drippings or lard until crisp and brown on both sides.
Serve with syrup.
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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Flour + syruptop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,540 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
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