Why it works: Ham and bread are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,536 recipes. Both carry 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline, which smells popcorn, roasted. The science ↓
To Boil a Ham
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
If the ham is long cured, soak it in water for 2 hours.
Place the ham in a large pot and cover it with plenty of cold water.
Simmer
Simmer gently for 4 to 6 hours, depending on the size.
Skim the surface frequently.
Finish and brown
When done, remove the rind and sprinkle bread crumbs over the top.
Place the ham before the fire or in the oven to dry and 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.
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Ham + breadtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,536 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (popcorn, roasted).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ham
- Supplies the main meat, which becomes tender and flavorful as it slowly simmers.
- Bread crumbs
- Form a crust on the surface that dries and browns during the final heating.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the ham and helps draw out flavor during the long cure-soaking and simmering.
The step that matters
Simmer gently rather than boil. A vigorous boil toughens the meat fibers and can make the surface tough and stringy. A gentle simmer keeps the ham tender and moist over the long cooking time.
“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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