Why it works: Pepper and shallot are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,898 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Lark Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Season the boned larks with salt, pepper, and chopped shallot.
Line a basin or mold with the suet crust.
Season the pieces of rump steak with salt and pepper.
Assemble
Layer the seasoned steak and larks in the basin until full.
Cover with a crust and tie a cloth over the top.
Cook
Boil for 2.5 hours.
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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Pepper + shallottop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,898 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Larks
- Provide the main meat, whose dense texture and rich flavor define the pudding.
- Rump steak
- Adds savory beef flavor and moisture that keeps the filling juicy during long cooking.
- Suet crust
- Forms a rich, sturdy pastry casing that encloses the filling and holds its shape while boiling.
- Shallot
- Adds a mild aromatic sharpness that complements the richness of the meats.
The step that matters
Cover with a crust and tie a cloth over the top. The crust and tied cloth must seal the basin well, because any gap lets boiling water seep in and dilute the filling and soften the pastry.
“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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