Beefsteak and Oyster Pie

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.

1. Pepper + macetop 16% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together12,257 recipes

   Shared aroma: myristicin (spice, warm).

2. Pepper + oystertop 22% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together7,663 recipes

   Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).

3. Oyster + macetop 26% of all pairs
   Smell alikelow
   Cooked together1,910 recipes

Pepper and mace barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 12,257 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

Steak

Provides the meaty base and savoury flavour of the filling.

Oysters

Adds briny, savoury flavour and soft texture to the filling.

Oyster liquor

Adds concentrated sea flavour and moisture to the filling.

Catsup

Adds sweet-tangy depth and some acidity to the filling.

Mace

Adds warm, aromatic spice that complements the meat and oysters.

Pastry

Forms the crust that holds the filling and its juices in the dish.

Swap the mace

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (pepper, oyster):

1. Parsleyfits better
2. Celeryfits better
3. Marjoramfits better
4. Macethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against pepper, oyster. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.