Why it works: Flour and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 78,219 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Raised Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a good oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
In a basin, combine flour and salt.
Boil milk and dripping.
Stir into the flour using a knife.
Turn the mixture onto a floured board.
Knead lightly.
Divide the dough into four equal parts.
Keep warm over a basin of hot water.
Shape and fill
Take one portion of dough.
Roll it into a ball.
Make a hollow in the center.
Shape the dough with your fingers.
Fill the hollow with minced meat.
Moisten with a little stock or water.
Roll out a small piece of dough for the lid.
Wet the edges.
Join the lid to the pie.
Crimp the edges with a knife.
Bake and serve
Make a hole in the center.
Insert a twisted piece of paper to let steam escape.
Brush the top with beaten egg.
Cut a small band of paper.
Place it around the pie to maintain its shape.
Bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven for about 20 minutes.
Pour a little gravy into the pie after it is cooked.
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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Flour + milktop 14% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together78,219 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Flour + eggtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together106,462 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Milk + eggtop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together88,785 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Milk + meattop 18% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,703 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).
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Meat + eggtop 22% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together6,432 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Flour and milk barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 78,219 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
- Flour
- Forms the dough structure that holds the filling and keeps the pie shape.
- Dripping or lard
- Adds fat that makes the pastry tender and short.
- Milk
- Adds moisture and helps the dough bind and brown lightly.
- Egg
- Brushed on top, it promotes a glossy golden browning in the oven.
- Minced meat
- Forms the savory filling that the pastry encloses.
The step that matters
Keep the dough warm while shaping. Fat-based dough stiffens and cracks as it cools, so keeping portions over hot water keeps it pliable for rolling and sealing the edges.
“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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