Why it works: Parsley and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 34,122 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Veal and Ham Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare and layer
Cut the veal and ham into neat slices.
In a pie dish, layer the veal, then ham, and thin slices of hard-boiled egg.
Season each layer with salt, pepper, dried herbs, and parsley.
Continue layering until the dish is full.
Pour in about ½ cup of stock or water.
Top and bake
Cover with pastry, decorate with pastry leaves, and brush with egg.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 1½ hours.
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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Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Veal + hamtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,264 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Ham + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,526 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Veal + parsleytop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together4,766 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Veal + peppertop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,049 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Veal
- Provides the main meat, which turns tender and juicy during the long slow bake.
- Cooked ham
- Adds savoury, salty flavour that seasons the meat layers.
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Add richness and a firm, sliced texture between the meat layers.
- Rough puff pastry
- Forms a flaky, crisp crust that seals in the moist filling.
- Stock or water
- Creates moisture that cooks the meat gently and forms a savoury juice.
The step that matters
Pour in the liquid before topping. The stock or water keeps the lean veal moist as it bakes; without enough liquid, lean meat dries out and toughens during the long cook.
“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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