Why it works: Ham and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 17% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,526 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓
Ham or Bacon Omelettes
Ingredients
Directions
Fry the minced ham or bacon in a skillet until browned.
In a bowl, beat the eggs until well mixed.
Add the beaten eggs to the skillet and cook until set, like a plain omelette.
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 + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,526 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
- Eggs
- Set to form the soft, tender structure of the omelette as they cook.
- Minced ham or bacon
- Adds savory flavor and browned, salty richness to the eggs.
The step that matters
Cooking the beaten eggs until set. Eggs cooked over too high heat turn tough and rubbery because proteins contract and squeeze out moisture. Gentle heat lets them set softly and stay 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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