Why it works: Lemon and corn are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 13% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,927 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Lemon Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the filling
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
In a bowl, combine the grated lemon rind, lemon juice, sugar, and butter.
In a separate bowl, stir corn starch into boiling water, then mix in the beaten egg yolks.
Combine the corn starch mixture with the lemon mixture and pour into the pie crust.
Top and bake
Beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold in powdered sugar and spread over the pie.
Return the pie to the oven and bake until the top is browned.
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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Lemon + corntop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,927 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Butter + corntop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,345 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-pentanedione (butter, sweet).
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Lemon + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,227 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
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Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 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
- Corn starch
- Thickens the lemon filling as it heats, giving it a smooth, sliceable set.
- Egg yolks
- Add richness and help set the filling into a custard-like texture.
- Egg whites
- Whip into a stiff foam that forms the topping and browns in the oven.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the filling and balances the sharpness of the lemon juice.
- Lemon juice
- Provides the tart acidity that defines the pie's flavor.
The step that matters
Combining the cornstarch mixture with the lemon mixture. Cornstarch thickens only when it is heated in liquid and cooked, so the filling must be warmed enough to thicken; if it is not, the pie will stay runny when cut.
Swap the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, butter, corn, egg):
- Vanillafits better
- Coconutfits better
- Figfits about as well
- Lemonthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, butter, corn, 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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