Why it works: Raisin and nutmeg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,377 recipes. Both carry alpha-terpineol, which smells lilac, floral. The science ↓
Rice Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a slow oven”. The 300°F (150°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Bake the pudding
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
In a large bowl, combine cooked rice, milk, raisins, sugar, egg yolks, and nutmeg or flavoring.
Pour the mixture into a baking dish and bake until set.
Top and brown
Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks, then gradually add 2 tablespoons of sugar.
Spread the whipped egg whites on top of the pudding and lightly brown in the oven.
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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Raisin + nutmegtop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,377 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral).
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Rice + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,374 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Rice + nutmegtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,779 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Rice + raisintop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together565 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Raisin + sugartop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,481 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cooked rice
- Forms the body of the pudding, giving it bulk and a soft, starchy texture.
- Milk
- Provides the liquid that sets around the rice and gives the custard its creamy moisture.
- Egg yolks
- Thicken the custard as they set, giving the pudding structure and richness.
- Egg whites
- Whipped to stiff peaks, they form a light meringue topping that browns in the oven.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps the meringue topping whip and brown.
- Seeded raisins
- Add sweetness, chewy texture and moisture to the pudding.
The step that matters
Whipping the egg white topping. Egg whites must reach stiff peaks before the sugar is gradually added; under-whipped or greasy whites will not hold their shape and can weep or collapse on the pudding.
Swap the raisin
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (rice, milk, sugar, egg, nutmeg):
- Vanillafits better
- Coconutfits about as well
- Raisinthe original
- Figfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against rice, milk, sugar, egg, nutmeg. 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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