Why it works: Ham and butter 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 ↓
Ham Omelet
Ingredients
Directions
In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the diced raw ham and fry until cooked through.
Pour the beaten eggs over the ham and cook until set, like a plain omelet.
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 + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,475 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
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Ham + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,526 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
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Butter + eggtop 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 a tender structure that holds the ham together as the omelet cooks.
- Ham
- Adds savory, salty flavor and substance to the omelet.
- Butter
- Adds richness and helps keep the eggs and ham from sticking in the skillet.
The step that matters
Cooking the eggs until just set. Eggs turn rubbery and dry when overcooked, because the proteins tighten too far and squeeze out moisture. Cooking over medium heat until the surface is just set keeps the omelet tender.
“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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