Why it works: Butter and ham are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,475 recipes. Both carry trans-2-decenal, which smells waxy, orange. The science ↓
Omelet
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Beat the eggs until light.
In a pan, melt the butter over medium heat.
Cook and serve
Pour the eggs into the pan and let them set until the edges can be lifted.
Add the minced meat and season with salt.
Fold the omelet and serve immediately.
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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Butter + hamtop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,475 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
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Egg + hamtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,526 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Set into the structure of the omelet as they cook, giving it body and tenderness.
- Butter
- Adds richness and flavor and keeps the eggs from sticking to the pan.
- Minced ham or tongue
- Adds savory flavor and filling to the omelet.
The step that matters
Letting the eggs set before folding. Eggs cook quickly over medium heat. Folding too early, before the edges firm up, can tear the omelet and leave the centre runny. Waiting until the edges lift cleanly gives a sturdy, evenly cooked omelet.
“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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