Why it works: Pepper and parsley 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 ↓
Mutton Pies
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
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Mince the mutton, ensuring it is free from skin and fat.
Mix the minced mutton with gravy, anchovy essence, cayenne pepper, parsley, and salt if needed.
Line pattypans with puff pastry.
Fill and bake
Divide the mutton mixture into equal portions and place in the lined pans.
Cover each with a lid of pastry and bake for 30 minutes.
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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Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Mutton + anchovytop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together170 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
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Anchovy + parsleytop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,702 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
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Mutton + peppertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together5,442 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
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Anchovy + peppertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together3,232 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Underdone mutton
- Forms the savoury filling and carries most of the flavour of the pie.
- Puff pastry
- Its layers puff and turn crisp and flaky in the hot oven, forming the case and lid.
- Rich gravy
- Adds moisture and savoury depth so the minced meat stays juicy rather than dry.
- Anchovy essence
- Adds a concentrated savoury, salty depth to the meat filling.
The step that matters
Covering each pie with pastry. The lid must seal well around the filling so steam is trapped and the filling stays moist while the pastry rises and browns.
“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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