Why it works: Ham and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,475 recipes. Both carry trans-2-decenal, which smells waxy, orange. The science ↓
Polish Baked Noodles or Pecheny Nuddle
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Prepare the noodles, cutting them into strips and then squares.
Let the noodles dry, then cook them in boiling water until they float.
Use a skimmer to remove the noodles and drain them.
Bake and serve
Layer the squares in a baking dish, scattering bits of boiled ham and fat between layers.
Fill the dish and bake at 400°F (200°C) until hot.
Serve immediately.
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 + buttertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,475 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Noodles
- Form the bulk of the dish, absorbing fat and soaking up flavour as they bake.
- Boiled ham
- Adds savoury, salty flavour and a meaty bite between the noodle layers.
- Fat
- Adds richness and moisture, helping the noodles brown lightly and stay from drying out.
The step that matters
Drain the noodles well. Water left on the cooked noodles dilutes the fat and can make the baked dish soggy rather than lightly browned at the edges.
“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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