Why it works: Butter and rum are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 13% of all ingredient pairs, and 1,007 recipes mention both. Both carry delta-decalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Sauce for French Blanc-mange
Ingredients
Directions
Make the sauce
Beat the butter with the sifted sugar until well combined.
Add the rum or sherry and mix thoroughly.
Boil the mixture, stirring constantly in the same direction until done.
Serve
Serve the sauce hot with the cold pudding.
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 aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Butter + rumtop 13% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together1,007 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Sugar + rumtop 14% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together2,908 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Butter + sugartop 17% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Butter
- Adds richness and a smooth, silky body to the sauce.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the sauce and helps it blend smoothly with the butter.
- Rum or sherry
- Adds aromatic flavour that carries through the sauce.
The step that matters
Boil the mixture while stirring constantly. Stirring in one constant direction keeps the mixture smooth and evenly heated, so it thickens without lumps or scorching on the base of the pan.
“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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