Why it works: Parsley and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 34,122 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Pigeon Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the pigeons
Cut the points off the wings and legs of the pigeons.
Slice each pigeon into three pieces.
Remove the liver and back.
Slit the breast piece.
Take out the bone.
Chop the livers with parsley and mushrooms.
Spread the chopped livers on each piece of pigeon.
Layer the pie
Cut the rump steak into slices.
Beat the slices.
Layer the beaten slices in the bottom of a dish.
Add a layer of pigeon.
Season the layer with pepper and salt.
Repeat the layers.
Pour in the stock.
Add the hard-boiled eggs cut into quarters.
Bake and serve
Cover with puff pastry.
Bake in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C) for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Fill the pie with gravy made from the heads, bones, and stock.
Stick the feet out of the top of the pastry.
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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Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Mushroom + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together13,580 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Parsley + mushroomtop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,132 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Egg + parsleytop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,765 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Egg + mushroomtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,987 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Pigeons
- Provide the main meat, which becomes tender during the long slow bake.
- Rump steak
- Adds meaty body and richness that bulks out the filling as it cooks.
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Add firm texture and a mild, creamy richness to the filling.
- Stock
- Supplies moisture that gently cooks the meat and forms the sauce.
- Mushrooms
- Add earthy flavour and moisture to the chopped liver mixture.
The step that matters
Beat the steak slices. Beating breaks down the muscle fibres of the rump steak, so it becomes more tender during the long bake instead of staying tough.
Swap the parsley
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, mushroom, pepper):
- Parsleythe original
- Thymefits about as well
- Marjoramfits about as well
- Tarragonfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, mushroom, pepper. 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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