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.
Slice the beef into thin pieces and cut the ham into strips.
Slice the hard-boiled eggs.
Assemble and bake
Layer the pigeon, beef, ham, and egg in a pie dish, seasoning well.
Pour in stock until the dish is three-quarters full.
Cover with puff pastry, brush with egg yolk, and bake at 400°F (200°C) until the pastry is risen and set.
Lower the temperature to 300°F (150°C) and cook for about 1 hour.
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).
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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 and rich flavour of the filling.
- Rump steak
- Adds meaty texture and savoury depth to the filling as it cooks slowly.
- Ham or lean bacon
- Contributes salty, smoky flavour that seasons the filling.
- Stock
- Supplies moisture that cooks the meat and forms a savoury gravy.
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Add body and a firm, creamy texture to the filling.
- Puff pastry
- Rises into flaky layers and browns to form the crust.
The step that matters
Bake at 400°F, then lower to 300°F. The high heat sets and puffs the pastry quickly, while the lower heat cooks the meat through gently so it becomes tender without drying out.
“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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