Why it works: Corn and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,955 recipes. Both carry hexanal, which smells green, grassy. The science ↓
Green Corn Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the corn
Remove the kernels from the corn ears using a sharp knife, scraping out as much milk as possible.
Pound or chop the corn finely.
Mix and bake
In a bowl, combine the corn, crushed crackers, milk, eggs, sugar, and salt. Mix well and pour into a baking dish.
Bake for 2 hours in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C).
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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Corn + milktop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,955 recipes
Shared aroma: hexanal (green, grassy).
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Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Milk + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together77,875 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Corn + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together7,168 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Milk and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 77,875 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
- Sweet corn
- Provides the bulk and sweetness, and its starch helps the pudding set and hold its body.
- Eggs
- Bind the mixture and set it into a custard-like texture as they cook.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and richness, keeping the pudding tender rather than dry.
- Crackers
- Absorb liquid and add body, giving the pudding a firmer, more cohesive texture.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the top brown lightly during baking.
The step that matters
Pound or chop the corn finely. Finely broken corn releases its starch and milky juices into the mixture, so the pudding sets evenly. Coarse pieces can leave a grainy, watery 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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