Why it works: Pecans and brie work together. They rank in the top 10% of all ingredient pairs, and 14 recipes mention both. Both carry 1-octen-3-ol, which smells mushroom, earthy. The science ↓
The recipe
12 servingsIngredients
Contains: egg, milk, wheat, tree nuts (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)
Directions
Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Soften the dried cherries by covering them with hot water for 10 minutes, then drain and pat dry.
Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until fragrant, then chop them if needed and let cool.
Unfold the puff pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface and roll it slightly larger than the Brie. Keep the pastry cold until assembly.
Beat the egg with the tablespoon of water to make an egg wash.
Place the whole Brie in the center of the pastry. Top it with the cherries, pecans and chopped rosemary, then drizzle the honey over the top.
Fold the pastry up and over the Brie, pinching the seams closed and trimming any extra. Place it seam side down on the baking sheet and brush all over with the egg wash.
Cut a few small slits in the top for steam. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and the Brie feels soft when pressed gently.
Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice and serve warm with the crackers on the side.
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.
-
Pecans + brietop 10% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together14 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
-
Brie + cheesetop 3% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together161 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-decalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Honey + cheesetop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together259 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity).
-
Honey + rosemarytop 6% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together238 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Honey + brietop 8% of all pairsAroma overlaplowMentioned together17 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl butyrate (apple, fruity).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
The Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.