Why it works: Mushroom and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 13,580 recipes. Both carry 2-nonenal, which smells fatty, green. The science ↓
Pigeon Pie
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare and assemble
Cut the pigeons into small joints and chop the bacon and mushrooms coarsely.
Toss the pigeon in seasoned flour and arrange in a pie dish with a sprinkling of mushrooms and bacon.
Add the stock.
Cover and cook
Make the pastry, cover the pie and glaze with beaten egg.
Bake in a hot oven for 30 minutes to set pastry.
Cook slowly for 1 hour.
Fill the pie with extra stock.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
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.
-
Mushroom + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together13,580 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Mushroom + flourtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,253 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + peppertop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together50,459 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, 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 through slow, gentle cooking.
- Bacon
- Adds savoury, salty fat that flavours the filling.
- Mushrooms
- Add moisture and earthy flavour to the filling.
- Flour
- Lightly coats the pigeon and helps thicken the cooking juices.
- Stock
- Adds liquid that gently braises the meat and forms the gravy.
The step that matters
Cook slowly for 1 hour. Gentle, low heat lets the pigeon meat become tender and the juices thicken without toughening the meat, so rushing this stage leaves the filling tough and dry.
“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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