Why it works: Flour and raisin match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,075 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Suet Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the mixture
Sift the baking powder into the flour.
Add the suet and raisins (or cherries) to the flour mixture.
Stir in the molasses and lukewarm water until combined.
Boil the pudding
Dip a cloth bag in cold water and flour it inside.
Fill the bag with the pudding mixture and tie it securely.
Place the bag in warm water and boil for three hours, using a plate at the bottom to prevent scorching.
Empty the bag onto a plate and transfer to another plate to avoid stickiness.
Serve with a nice sauce.
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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Flour + raisintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Raisin + molassestop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,577 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Flour + molassestop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,429 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Flour
- Forms the bulk of the pudding and gives it structure as it steams.
- Suet
- Adds fat that keeps the pudding moist and rich in texture.
- Baking powder
- Releases gas that helps the pudding rise and become light.
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness, depth of flavour and moisture to the pudding.
The step that matters
Boiling the pudding in the bag. The bag must be tied securely and the water kept simmering, with a plate under it so it does not scorch. A loose bag lets water in and makes the pudding soggy and uneven.
“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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