Why it works: Egg and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 88,785 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Corn Dodgers
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.
Make the batter
Mix salt, lard, and cornmeal with boiling water, stirring well.
When the mixture is cool, add the whipped yolk of the egg and milk, and beat well.
Gently fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites.
Shape and bake
Drop the batter by spoonfuls onto a greased pan, forming cakes.
Bake in a hot oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 15 to 20 minutes.
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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Egg + milktop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cornmeal
- Forms the bulk of the cakes and gives them their grainy, sturdy body.
- Egg
- Yolk enriches and binds the batter, while whipped whites lighten it and help it rise.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas in the batter to help the cakes rise and turn tender.
- Lard
- Adds fat that tenderizes the cornmeal and gives a richer flavor and texture.
The step that matters
Folding in the egg whites. Whites beaten to stiff peaks hold air that lightens the batter. Folding gently keeps that air in, so the cakes stay light instead of deflating and turning dense.
“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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