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 ↓
Boiled Ham
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut the ham into thin slices.
Soak the slices in scalding water.
Wipe the slices dry and lay them in cold water for 5 minutes.
Cook
Wipe again and broil over a clear fire.
To fry the ham, prepare as for broiling and cook in a hot frying pan, turning often.
Serve
Pepper before serving.
Serve with or without gravy.
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 + 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
What each ingredient does
- Ham
- The main protein, whose cured, savory flavour is the centre of the dish.
- Pepper
- Adds a sharp, aromatic bite that contrasts with the richness of the ham.
The step that matters
Wipe the slices dry before broiling or frying. Surface water must evaporate before the meat can brown. Wet slices steam instead, so drying them first gives better browning and a firmer surface.
“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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