Why it works: Flour and nutmeg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 18,623 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Batter Pudding
Ingredients
Directions
Make the batter
In a saucepan, combine flour, salt, and grated nutmeg.
Mix in the milk until smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and stir them into the flour mixture.
Cook and serve
Butter a basin or mold and pour the batter in.
Tie the basin tightly with a cloth and boil for 2½ hours.
Serve with wine sauce.
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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Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,623 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Nutmeg + milktop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,685 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Nutmeg + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together24,744 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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
- Flour
- Provides structure as its starch thickens and sets the pudding when cooked.
- Eggs
- Set when heated, binding the batter into a firm, sliceable pudding.
- Milk
- Supplies the liquid that makes the batter pourable and keeps the pudding moist.
- Nutmeg
- Adds a warm, aromatic flavour to the batter.
The step that matters
Tying the basin tightly and boiling for 2½ hours. The tight cloth keeps water out and steam in, so the pudding cooks gently and evenly. If water gets in or the boil drops, the pudding can turn soggy or cook unevenly.
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, milk, egg):
- Nutmegthe original
- Cinnamonfits about as well
- Jalapenofits about as well
- Turmericfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, milk, egg. 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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