Why it works: Butter and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 81,283 recipes. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓
Cod 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 the oysters
Remove the gills from the oysters.
Simmer them in a little water for a few minutes.
Strain the oysters.
Mix them with the oyster liquor.
Cut the oysters into two or four pieces, depending on their size.
Assemble the pie
Divide the cod into large flakes.
Place half in a baking dish.
Layer the oysters on top.
Season with salt, pepper, and a little grated nutmeg.
Add half of the melted butter sauce.
Cover with the remaining cod.
Top and bake
If using short crust pastry, prepare it.
If using mashed potatoes, season them with salt and pepper, warm with a small piece of butter and milk.
Cover the dish with pastry or mashed potatoes.
Decorate.
Brush with egg.
Bake for about 40 minutes in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C).
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.
-
Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Nutmeg + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together13,015 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Potato + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,052 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Potato + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,305 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Potato + milktop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,611 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,z)-2,6-nonadienal (cucumber, melon).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Oysters
- Add a briny, savoury flavour that gives the filling its distinctive taste.
- Cod
- Forms the main body of the filling, flaking into tender, moist pieces as it cooks.
- Melted butter
- Adds richness and moisture, keeping the fish from drying out in the oven.
- Short crust pastry or mashed potatoes
- Forms the topping that seals in moisture and browns in the oven.
The step that matters
Cover with the remaining cod and seal the topping. Fish cooks quickly and can dry out or turn tough if overbaked, so the filling should be well moistened with butter sauce before the topping seals it in during baking.
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (oyster, butter, potato, pepper, milk):
- Parsleyfits better
- Thymefits about as well
- Nutmegthe original
- Dillfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against oyster, butter, potato, pepper, milk. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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.
You might also like
Potato Croquettes255 recipes
Potato Rolls78 recipes
Potato Chips53 recipes
Sweet Potato Croquettes53 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.