Name: Military Puddings
Ingredients: ½ lb finely chopped suet; ½ lb breadcrumbs; ¼ lb moist sugar; the grated rind and juice of 1 large lemon; 2 eggs

Why it works: Sugar and lemon are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 18% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 53,532 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓

Military Puddings

Oven, in the book's wordsA moderate oven

Ingredients

Directions

The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.

Mix and fill

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Mix all the ingredients well together.
Turn the mixture into well-buttered small cups.

Cook and serve

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
Alternatively, steam the puddings for the same length of time.
Serve with a suitable sauce.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

Sugar + lemontop 18% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together53,532 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Lemon + eggtop 19% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together44,316 recipes

Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together122,807 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

Suet: Adds fat that keeps the puddings moist and gives a rich, tender texture.
Breadcrumbs: Provide bulk and structure, absorbing moisture from the suet and eggs.
Eggs: Bind the mixture and set as it cooks, holding the puddings together.
Moist sugar: Adds sweetness and a soft, moist crumb.
Lemon: The grated rind adds fragrant aroma and the juice adds bright acidity.