Why it works: Pepper and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 13,015 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Pigeon Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point.
Prepare
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Line a large dish with puff pastry and cover the bottom with the veal cutlet or steak.
Season the meat with salt, cayenne, and nutmeg or mace.
Assemble
Prepare the pigeons, placing a slice or ball of butter seasoned with cayenne and mace inside each.
Arrange the pigeons in the dish with their breasts facing down.
Add the yolks of the hard-boiled eggs between and over the pigeons.
Dot the top with plenty of butter and season well with salt and spices.
Pour in some cold water or veal broth for gravy.
Cover and bake
Roll out the pastry cover to ¾ inch thick, secure it around the edge, and decorate it.
Bake for an hour or more until golden brown.
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.
-
Pepper + nutmegtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together13,015 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Nutmeg + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together24,377 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Nutmeg + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together24,744 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Veal + peppertop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,049 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Nutmeg and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 24,744 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
- Puff pastry
- Forms a flaky, golden crust that encloses the filling and holds in juices.
- Veal cutlet or rump steak
- Provides the meat base, which becomes tender and savory as it cooks slowly under the crust.
- Young pigeons
- Supply the main meat, whose flavor concentrates and firms as it bakes.
- Butter
- Adds richness and moisture, basting the meat and browning the pastry.
- Hard-boiled egg yolks
- Add richness and a creamy texture that thickens slightly in the juices.
- Cold water or veal broth
- Creates a flavorful gravy that keeps the meat moist during baking.
The step that matters
Sealing and decorating the pastry cover. The pastry must be sealed firmly around the edge so steam and juices stay inside, keeping the meat moist while it cooks through.
Swap the nutmeg
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (veal, pepper, butter, egg):
- Parsleyfits better
- Sagefits about as well
- Nutmegthe original
- Tarragonfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against veal, pepper, butter, egg. 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.
More pigeon pie recipes
You might also like
Veal Patties50 recipes
Beef, Mutton, or Veal Broth6 recipes
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 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.