Why it works: Lemon and orange match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 10,634 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓
Mince-pies
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the filling
In a bowl, combine the suet, beef, apples, currants, raisins, candied peel, and sugar.
Moisten the mixture with cognac and lemon juice, then cover and refrigerate for 7-8 days.
Assemble the pies
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Butter tartlet molds and line them with pastry.
Fill the molds with the prepared mixture and moisten the edges of the pastry.
Cover with another layer of pastry, sealing the edges and making a small hole in the center.
Brush the tops with egg wash and bake in the hot oven until golden.
Finish and serve
Once out of the oven, pour a little warmed cognac mixed with sugar into each pie.
Serve the mince-pies on a folded napkin.
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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Lemon + orangetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together10,634 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
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Apple + orangetop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,230 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Currant + raisintop 10% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together6,180 recipes
Shared aroma: gamma-nonanolactone (coconut, creamy).
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Apple + curranttop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,918 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, pear).
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Raisin + orangetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,684 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Beef kidney suet
- Adds richness and moisture to the filling as it softens during baking.
- Sour apples
- Provide moisture and a tart acidity that balances the sweetness of the sugar and dried fruit.
- Currants
- Add sweetness and chewy texture through the filling.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps preserve the filling during its long chilling.
- Cognac
- Adds aroma and flavor while helping preserve the moistened mixture during chilling.
- Candied peel
- Adds bright citrus aroma and chewy, sweet-tart flavor to the filling.
The step that matters
Chilling the moistened mixture. Resting the filling for 7-8 days lets the cognac and lemon juice soak into the fruit and suet, blending flavors. Skipping or shortening the rest leaves the filling harsh and less cohesive.
Swap the currant
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, apple, raisin, lemon, orange, sugar):
- Figfits better
- Cranberryfits better
- Vanillafits better
- Currantthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, apple, raisin, lemon, orange, sugar. 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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