Why it works: Sherry and brandy are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 6% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,209 recipes. Both carry ethyl cinnamate, which smells sweet, balsamic. The science ↓
Oranges in Syrup
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderately hot oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Wash the oranges in cold water and dry them on a clean cloth.
Prick the oranges all over with a silver fork.
Make the syrup and cook
Place the oranges in a pie dish and add the sifted sugar, sherry, brandy, Liquid Sunshine, and water.
Cover the dish and place it in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 14 to 15 hours.
Once the fruit is tender, remove it from the oven and let it cool with the cover on.
The syrup should thicken to the consistency of golden syrup.
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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Sherry + brandytop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,209 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl cinnamate (sweet, balsamic).
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Sugar + brandytop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together11,939 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Sugar + sherrytop 22% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,141 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Mandarin orange + sugartop 27% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together127 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
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Mandarin orange + sherrytop 29% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
Sugar and brandy barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 11,939 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
- Mandarin oranges
- Provide the fruit that becomes tender and absorbs the syrup as it cooks.
- Sifted sugar
- Sweetens the dish and thickens the syrup as it reduces in the oven.
- Sherry
- Adds aroma and flavour to the syrup.
- Brandy
- Adds aroma and flavour to the syrup.
The step that matters
Covered slow cooking until tender. Long, gentle heat with the lid on softens the fruit and lets the syrup thicken slowly. Cooking too hot or uncovered can dry out or over-reduce the syrup before the fruit is tender.
Swap the mandarin orange
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, sherry, brandy):
- Vanillafits better
- Apricotfits better
- Figfits better
- Mandarin orangethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, sherry, brandy. 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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