Why it works: Orange and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,746 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Ham with Madeira Wine
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the ham
Place the ham in a large pot of cold water.
Boil slowly for 4 hours, skimming regularly.
Remove the ham from heat.
Take off the skin.
Stew and glaze
Place the ham in a clean pot with enough Madeira wine to cover it.
Stew for 1 hour.
Keep the pot tightly covered except when turning the ham.
Drain the liquid into a porcelain-lined saucepan.
Coat the ham with a thick layer of powdered sugar.
Bake for 1 hour at 400°F (200°C).
Make the sauce
Mix orange or lemon juice with the drained liquid.
Add sugar and nutmeg.
Bring to a boil.
Serve as a sauce for the ham.
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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Orange + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,746 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Ham + madeira winetop 17% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together154 recipes
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Sugar + nutmegtop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together23,364 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
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Sugar + orangetop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together19,212 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Madeira wine + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together343 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Sugar and nutmeg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 23,364 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ham
- Is the main cut that is simmered, stewed and baked, so it becomes tender and flavorful.
- Madeira wine
- Adds aromatic, slightly sweet flavor to the ham and to the drained liquid that becomes the sauce.
- Powdered sugar
- Forms a sweet coating on the ham that browns and caramelizes in the oven.
- Orange juice or lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the sweet, rich sauce.
The step that matters
Keep the pot tightly covered while stewing. Covering the pot traps steam and keeps the ham moist. Lifting the lid often lets moisture escape, so the ham can dry out and the liquid reduces unevenly.
Swap the orange
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (ham, madeira wine, sugar, nutmeg):
- Raisinfits better
- Lemonfits better
- Applefits about as well
- Orangethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against ham, madeira wine, sugar, nutmeg. 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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