Why it works: Ham and pepper are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 23% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,058 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Broiled Ham
Ingredients
Directions
Wash the ham slices well and place them in a frying pan filled with warm water.
Slowly bring the water to a scalding point, then remove from heat and cover. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
Pour off the water and cover the ham with boiling water. Let it stand covered for 15 minutes.
Transfer the ham to a cold surface and let it sit for 5 minutes, then pour off the water and wipe the ham dry.
Broil the ham over clear coals, dust with pepper, 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.
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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Ham + peppertop 23% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together6,058 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
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