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 ↓
Broiled Ham
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Cut the ham into very thin slices.
If using very salty ham, parboil it for five minutes before broiling.
Cook and serve
Broil the slices for three to four minutes.
Serve with poached eggs.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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
- Thinly sliced ham
- Provides the main savoury flavour and, once thin, crisps and browns quickly under the broiler.
- Eggs for poaching
- Add richness and a soft, runny yolk that complements the salty ham.
The step that matters
Parboiling very salty ham. Parboiling draws some of the salt out of the meat before broiling concentrates it further. Skipping this step with very salty ham can leave the finished slices overly salty.
“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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