Why it works: Ham and flour are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 33% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,516 recipes. Both carry phenylacetaldehyde, which smells hawthorne, honey. The science ↓
Baked Ham
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the ham
Soak the ham in hot water for 12 hours.
Scrape the ham until clean.
Wrap and bake
Mix the flour with cold water to make a very firm paste.
Roll out the paste and wrap the ham in it.
Bake in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 2 ½ hours.
Finish and serve
Crack the paste and remove it along with the skin.
Dust the ham with brown breadcrumbs.
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 + flourtop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together2,516 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Smoked ham
- Is the main cut that is cooked and eaten, flavoured by its smoking and curing.
- Flour
- Mixed with water to form a firm paste that encases the ham and shapes it during baking.
- Brown breadcrumbs
- Sprinkled on the surface to add a crisp, browned coating.
The step that matters
Wrapping the ham in the firm paste. The paste must be firm and fully sealed around the ham so it holds its shape and traps moisture while baking. A loose or cracked wrap lets juices escape and the meat dries out.
“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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