Why it works: Ham and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 17% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,526 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Pigeon Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Cut each pigeon into 4 or more pieces based on their size.
Cut the beef into small thin slices.
Cut the ham into strips.
Slice the hard-boiled eggs into sections.
Prepare a few scalded pigeon feet with toes cut off.
Set aside the remaining stock.
Assemble and bake
Layer the pigeon, beef, ham, and egg in a pie dish.
Season the layered ingredients well.
Pour in stock until the dish is three-quarters full.
Cover the pie with puff pastry.
Brush the pastry with egg yolk.
Bake at 400 °F (200 °C) until the pastry is risen.
Lower the oven temperature to 300 °F (150 °C).
Cook for about 1 hour.
Finish and serve
Pour the stock through the hole in the center of the pie.
Replace the pastry ornament with the feet.
Fix the feet upright.
Serve hot or cold; if cold, the stock should form a jelly.
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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Ham + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,526 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Ham + peppertop 23% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together6,058 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
- Pigeons
- Provide the main meat, which becomes tender during the long slow bake.
- Rump steak
- Adds beefy flavor and chewy texture that softens during slow cooking.
- Ham or lean bacon
- Adds salty, savory flavor that complements the game meat.
- Stock
- Keeps the filling moist and, when chilled, sets to a natural jelly.
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Add richness and a firm, sliced texture inside the pie.
- Puff pastry
- Forms a flaky, crisp, golden crust that rises and browns in the hot oven.
The step that matters
Pour in stock until the dish is three-quarters full. Stock keeps the meat moist during baking and, when cooled, gels from its natural gelatin, so leaving room prevents spills and a dry filling.
“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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