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 Omelette
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare a plain omelette.
When the omelette begins to thicken, add the chopped ham.
Continue cooking until fully set.
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 into the structure of the omelette as they cook, forming its body and texture.
- Cooked ham
- Adds savory flavor and chew; it is already cooked, so it only needs warming through.
The step that matters
Adding the ham as the omelette thickens. Adding the ham while the egg is still slightly runny lets it distribute evenly and warm through without drying out. Adding it too early can break up the eggs, while adding it too late leaves it cold and unevenly placed.
“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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