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 ↓
Queen's Tomato Pie
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut the tomatoes into slices.
Stew the sliced tomatoes gently with 1 oz of butter, the onions, and seasoning for 10 minutes, then add the parsley.
Soak the breadcrumbs with enough hot milk to just moisten them through, then add the beaten eggs to the soaked breadcrumbs.
Grease a pie dish.
Assemble and bake
Layer the pie dish with breadcrumbs, then tomatoes, alternating until full, finishing with breadcrumbs.
Sprinkle the remaining butter in little bits on top of the pie.
Bake the pie until lightly brown.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Parsley | 1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g) | 1 |
| 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.
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. See the original page.
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.
-
Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Onion + parsleytop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together25,843 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Onion + peppertop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together68,474 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Egg + parsleytop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,765 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Egg + peppertop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together50,580 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Egg and pepper barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 50,580 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
- Bind the soaked breadcrumbs and help the pie set as it bakes.
- Allinson breadcrumbs
- Absorb the tomato juices and give the pie its body and structure.
- Tomatoes (in the method)
- Provide the main filling, moisture and tangy flavour.
- Onions
- Add savoury sweetness and aroma as they soften with the tomatoes.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds richness and helps the top brown lightly.
The step that matters
Soak the breadcrumbs with hot milk. Breadcrumbs must be moistened just enough to hold together. Too little liquid leaves dry pockets, while too much makes the pie soggy and loose once the tomatoes release their juices.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, parsley, pepper):
- Carrotfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Spinachfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, parsley, 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.
More tomato pie recipes
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.