Why it works: Clove and allspice match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 7,874 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
To Boil a Ham
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Fill the pot with water.
Put in the ham.
Add 11 all around with nice hay.
Season and boil
Add garlic, cloves, mace, allspice, thyme, and pepper.
Let it boil several hours, until quite done.
Add about a quart of cider or wine.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 4 of 6 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Clove | 1 tsp ground (2g) | 7 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Allspice | 1 tsp ground (1.9g) | 5 |
| Thyme | 1 tsp dried (1.4g) | 4 |
| Cider | not in our table | 0 |
| Mace | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
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. See the original page.
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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Clove + allspicetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together7,874 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Allspice + thymetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,077 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Clove + thymetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together4,108 recipes
Shared aroma: cuminaldehyde (Spicy, cumin).
-
Thyme + peppertop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,585 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ham (in the method)
- The main cut, which becomes tender and absorbs flavour during long cooking in the liquid.
- Cider
- Adds moisture and mild acidity to the cooking liquid, giving the ham a light fruity flavour.
- Cloves
- Contribute warm, pungent aroma that flavours the cooking liquid and the ham.
- Allspice
- Adds a warm, aromatic flavour to the cooking liquid and the meat.
The step that matters
Keep the boil gentle and let it cook until quite done. A hard, rolling boil toughens meat and can break it apart. Cooking long enough lets connective tissue soften, so the ham becomes tender and easy to slice.
Swap the mace
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cider, clove, allspice, thyme, pepper):
- Marjoramfits better
- Winter savoryfits better
- Cinnamonfits better
- Macethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against cider, clove, allspice, 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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