Why it works: Clove and allspice match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 7,874 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Ham Boiled
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the ham
Soak the ham in cold water for several hours or overnight if it is very dry or salty.
If not soaked, cover the ham with boiling water, then wash and scrape it clean.
Boil and peel
Place the ham in a large kettle, cover with cold water, and simmer gently for 4 to 8 hours, allowing 20 minutes per pound.
When done, the small bone should pull out easily. Let it cool, then remove the skin.
Finish and serve
Dot the fat side with whole cloves, dust with fine bread crumbs, and brown in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 1 to 2 hours if very fatty.
Alternatively, brush the ham with egg white and cover with a mixture of bread crumbs, pepper, and sugar, then brown.
Quarter 2 onions, stick whole allspice and black pepper in them, make slits in the ham, insert the onions, and bake in a dripping pan with parsley until browned.
After boiling and peeling, dust the ham with sugar and pass a hot knife over it to create a caramel glaze, serving without baking.
Glaze the ham with strong meat jelly or any savory jelly boiled down until thick.
Serve the nicest slices of boiled ham with currant jelly.
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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Clove + allspicetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together7,874 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Pepper + parsleytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together34,122 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Allspice + parsleytop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,289 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
-
Clove + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Allspice + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together6,395 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Ham
- Main protein; slow simmering makes it tender while salt and soaking control its saltiness.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness and helps form a caramelized, browned surface when heated.
- Fine bread crumbs
- Form a crisp, browned crust on the outside of the ham.
- Strong meat jelly or savory jelly
- Adds a glossy, savory glaze that sets as it cools on the ham.
The step that matters
Simmering the ham gently. A gentle simmer cooks the ham evenly and keeps the meat tender; a hard boil toughens the proteins and can make the outside stringy and dry.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (ham, clove, bread, allspice, pepper, parsley, sugar):
- Carrotfits better
- Shallotfits better
- Mustardfits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against ham, clove, bread, allspice, pepper, parsley, sugar. 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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