Why it works: Egg and ham are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 17% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,526 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Omelet
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Beat the eggs in a bowl until well mixed.
Add the chopped ham and stir to combine.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Cook and serve
Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and cook until the edges start to set.
Gently lift the edges with a spatula and let the uncooked egg flow underneath.
Once mostly set, fold the omelet in half and serve.
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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Egg + hamtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,526 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
- Eggs
- Set into a tender structure that holds the filling together as the omelet cooks.
- Chopped ham
- Adds salty, savory flavor and a chewy bite throughout the omelet.
The step that matters
Lifting the edges and letting the uncooked egg flow underneath. Egg proteins set as they heat, so moving the liquid egg to the hot pan surface lets it cook evenly. Cooking too long or too hot makes the omelet tough, dry, and prone to browning.
“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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