Why it works: Parsley and thyme match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,057 recipes. Both carry cuminaldehyde, which smells Spicy, cumin. The science ↓
Giblet Pie
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a brisk oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Wash the giblets and place them in a pot with the sliced onion, bouquet‑garni, peppercorns, and salt.
Cover with cold water and simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours.
Assemble
Cut the steak into thin slices and layer half in a pie dish.
Add the giblets and then the remaining steak in alternating layers, seasoning well.
Strain the stock, season to taste, and pour over the meat until it is three‑quarters full.
Bake and serve
Cover with puff pastry and bake in a brisk oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 30 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to 300°F (150°C) and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes.
For a nice finish, brush the pie with egg yolk before baking or when it is three‑quarters done.
Before serving, pour in the remaining hot stock.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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 + thymetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together9,057 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
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Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Thyme + peppertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,585 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Onion + thymetop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,171 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Onion + parsleytop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together25,843 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Goose giblets
- Simmered to build a rich, savoury stock that flavours the filling and moistens the pie.
- Rump steak
- Provides the main meat body, which becomes tender and juicy as it cooks under the crust.
- Onion
- Softens during simmering and adds a mild, sweet aroma to the stock.
- Puff pastry
- Its layered fat puffs and crisps in the oven, forming a flaky crust over the filling.
- Bouquet garni
- Parsley, thyme and bay leaf scent the stock with herbal aroma as it simmers.
The step that matters
Starting in a brisk oven. High initial heat makes the puff pastry rise and set quickly. Lowering the heat afterward lets the meat cook through without scorching the crust.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (parsley, thyme, pepper):
- Carrotfits better
- Parsnipfits better
- Shallotfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against parsley, thyme, pepper. 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.
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