Why it works: Parsley and thyme match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and 9,057 recipes mention both. Both carry cuminaldehyde, which smells Spicy, cumin. The science ↓
Giblet Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a brisk oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the filling
Wash the giblets and place them in a pot with the sliced onion, bouquet garni, peppercorns, and ½ teaspoon of salt.
Cover with cold water and simmer gently for 1 to 2 hours.
Cut the steak into small thin slices and layer them at the bottom of a pie dish.
Add the giblets and the remaining steak in alternate layers, seasoning well.
Strain the stock, season to taste, and pour over the meat to about half its depth.
Bake and serve
Cover with pastry and bake in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 1 hour.
Reduce the temperature to 300°F (150°C) and continue baking for about 45 minutes.
Brush the pie with egg yolk before baking or when it is three-quarters done.
Before serving, pour in the remaining hot stock.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
-
Parsley + thymetop 1% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together9,057 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
-
Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Thyme + peppertop 4% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together11,585 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Onion + thymetop 7% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together11,171 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Onion + parsleytop 9% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together25,843 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Goose giblets
- Simmered to make a rich, flavourful stock and tender meat for the filling.
- Rump steak
- Adds meaty body and savoury flavour to the layered filling.
- Puff pastry or flaky pastry
- Forms a crisp, golden, flaky crust over the filling.
- Egg yolk (in the method)
- Promotes browning and a glossy finish on the pastry crust.
The step that matters
Brushing with egg yolk. Egg yolk gives the pastry its golden colour and sheen. Applying it at the right moment, before baking or at three-quarters done, keeps it from over-browning or drying.
Flavor stand-ins for the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (parsley, thyme, pepper):
- Carrotbetter flavor fit
- Parsnipbetter flavor fit
- Shallotbetter flavor fit
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against parsley, thyme, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes. This compares flavor only: it does not check the job the ingredient does in the dish (bulk, moisture, acidity, structure).
“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 giblet pie recipes
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe Sunday pairing: one pairing, the chemistry behind it, and how to cook it. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account for sign-in; Pro adds the full results and chemistry.