Why it works: Sugar and rum are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,908 recipes. Both carry beta-damascenone, which smells apple, rose. The science ↓
Melons Frascati
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut the cantaloupe in half and remove the seeds.
Fill each half with the fruit cup mixture.
Sprinkle with sugar and add rum, sherry, or Cointreau if desired.
Cover with wax paper and chill for at least 1 hour.
Top and bake
Spoon a 2-inch layer of meringue on top.
Bake at 400°F (200°C) until delicately browned, about 5 minutes.
Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve.
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 + rumtop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,908 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
- Meringue
- Forms a light topping that browns in the oven, adding a sweet, crisp contrast to the cold fruit.
- Cantaloupe
- Serves as the edible shell that holds the fruit filling.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the fruit and draws out some of its juice.
The step that matters
Baking the meringue. Meringue browns quickly at 400°F, so it can scorch before it sets. Watch it closely and remove it as soon as it is delicately browned.
“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.
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.