Why it works: Clove and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 8,686 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Suet Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Make the pudding
In a large bowl, combine the chopped beef suet, baking soda, milk, ground cloves, flour, grated nutmeg, raisins, salt, and molasses. Mix until well combined.
Pour the mixture into a greased pudding mold.
Steam
Steam for about 2 hours or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
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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Clove + nutmegtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together8,686 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Flour + raisintop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,075 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Nutmeg + raisintop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,377 recipes
Shared aroma: alpha-terpineol (lilac, floral).
-
Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,623 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Clove + raisintop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,070 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl caproate (fruity, apple peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Beef suet
- Adds fat that keeps the pudding moist and gives it a rich texture.
- All-purpose flour
- Forms the structure that holds the pudding together as it sets.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the molasses and milk to lighten the batter as it steams.
- Molasses
- Adds sweetness, dark colour and a deep, slightly bitter flavour.
- Raisins
- Add chewy texture and concentrated sweetness throughout the pudding.
The step that matters
Steaming until the skewer comes out clean. Steaming gently cooks the flour and suet through without drying them. Testing the centre with a skewer confirms the pudding is set; stopping early leaves it dense and wet in the middle.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (beef, milk, flour, nutmeg, raisin, molasses):
- Cinnamonfits better
- Cardamomfits about as well
- Clovethe original
- Allspicefits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against beef, milk, flour, nutmeg, raisin, molasses. 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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