Why it works: Sherry and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 22% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,141 recipes. Both carry guaiacol, which smells smoky, sweet. The science ↓
Arrow-root Jelly
Ingredients
Directions
Dissolve the arrow-root in a little water.
Add the dissolved arrow-root to the boiling water and boil for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the sherry or Madeira wine.
Sweeten and flavor to taste.
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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Sherry + sugartop 22% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,141 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Arrow-root
- Thickens the liquid into a clear, soft jelly as it boils.
- Sherry or madeira wine
- Adds flavor and acidity; stirred in off the heat so its aroma stays fresh.
The step that matters
Add the dissolved arrow-root to the boiling water. Arrow-root must be fully dissolved first and added to boiling liquid while stirring, then boiled briefly. This lets starch granules swell and gelatinize evenly, so the jelly thickens without lumps or a cloudy, gummy texture.
“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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