Why it works: Egg and ham 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 ↓
Petites Omelettes Au Jambon
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
In a bowl, beat the eggs until well mixed.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Cook the omelette
Pour half the egg mixture into the skillet.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of minced ham over the eggs.
Cook until the edges set, then fold the omelette in half.
Repeat with the remaining egg mixture and ham.
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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Egg + hamtop 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
- Proteins set when heated, giving the omelette its structure and tender body.
- Ham
- Adds savoury, salty flavour and a chewy bite to the eggs.
The step that matters
Cook until the edges set, then fold. Egg proteins set as they heat, so folding once the edges are firm but the centre is still slightly moist keeps the omelette tender. Cooking too long past this point toughens the proteins, making the eggs rubbery and dry.
“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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