Why it works: Almond and lemon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,655 recipes. Both carry eucalyptol, which smells eucalyptus, herbal. The science ↓
Prune Shape
Ingredients
Directions
Make the prune shape
Simmer prunes until tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Dissolve gelatine in some of the liquid and mix it with the prunes.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Pour cold water into a mould and let it sit for 1–2 minutes.
Pour out the water and fill the mould with the prunes.
Once cold, turn the mould out onto a glass dish.
Stick the remaining shredded almonds all over the shape to resemble a hedgehog.
Make the custard
Boil the lemon rind in the milk.
Remove from heat and let the milk infuse for 15 minutes.
Beat the egg yolks in a bowl and mix in the sugar.
Strain the boiling milk into the egg mixture, stirring briskly.
Return the mixture to a saucepan and place it in a larger saucepan of boiling water.
Stir until the custard thickens, but do not let it boil.
Pour the custard out immediately and stir for a few minutes to prevent curdling.
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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Almond + lemontop 10% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,655 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Milk + lemontop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together19,053 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Almond + milktop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,800 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Almond + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,679 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
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Sugar + lemontop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together53,532 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Sugar and lemon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 53,532 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
- Gelatine
- Sets the prune mixture so it holds its shape when turned out of the mould.
- Prunes
- Provide the main fruit body, sweetness and soft texture of the shape.
- Milk
- Forms the base of the custard, giving it body and a smooth, creamy texture.
- Egg yolks
- Thicken the custard as they set with gentle heat, giving it a rich texture.
- Almonds
- Add a nutty flavour and a contrasting texture on the outside of the shape.
The step that matters
Thickening the custard over gentle heat. Egg yolks set at low temperatures, but if the custard boils they scramble and curdle. Keeping it below boiling and stirring until it coats the spoon gives a smooth result.
Swap the almond
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (milk, egg, sugar, lemon):
- Milletfits about as well
- Almondthe original
- Pistachiofits about as well
- Walnutfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against milk, egg, sugar, lemon. 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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