Why it works: Lemon and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,227 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓
Old-fashioned Lemon-custard Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the custard
Beat the egg yolks and 2 cups of powdered sugar until creamy.
Add the 4 egg whites, one at a time, beating until light.
Cream the butter and gradually mix in the egg mixture.
Place the bowl in a pan of boiling water and stir continuously until thickened.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Bake the crust and fill
Line 2 deep pie dishes with flaky pie crust and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes.
Once the crust is baked, fill it with the lemon custard, pressing down any air bubbles.
Make the meringue and finish
Beat the 6 egg whites until foamy, then gradually add 6 tablespoons of powdered sugar, beating until stiff and glossy.
Spread the meringue over the custard, sprinkle with granulated sugar, and bake in a very hot oven for about 2 minutes until slightly browned.
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 + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,227 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
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Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Butter + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Lemon + sugartop 18% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together53,532 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Lemon + eggtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together44,316 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
Lemon and sugar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 53,532 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Yolks thicken the custard and whites whip into a light, stable meringue foam.
- Butter
- Adds richness and a smooth, tender body to the custard.
- Lemon juice and rind
- Provides the sharp acidity and bright aroma that define the custard.
- Powdered sugar
- Sweetens the custard and meringue, dissolving smoothly into both.
The step that matters
Stirring the custard over boiling water. Egg yolks thicken gently as they heat, but if the mixture overheats or is not stirred constantly, it can curdle or scramble. Continuous stirring spreads the heat evenly so the custard thickens smoothly.
Swap the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, butter, sugar):
- Vanillafits better
- Lemonthe original
- Raisinfits about as well
- Figfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, butter, 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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