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 ↓
Ham, Baked.
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 cold water for 8 to 24 hours, depending on saltiness.
Wash the ham in lukewarm water and trim off any discolored parts.
Bake and finish
Cover the ham with a thick paste made of flour and water, ensuring no openings.
Bake in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C) for 25 to 30 minutes per pound.
Remove the paste and skin while the ham is still hot.
Cover the ham with breadcrumbs and brown it before serving.
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
- Ham
- Is the main cooked meat; soaking first reduces its saltiness before baking.
- Flour
- Forms a thick paste that seals the ham and keeps moisture in during baking.
- Coarse breadcrumbs
- Create a crisp, browned crust on the outside of the ham.
The step that matters
Covering the ham with the flour and water paste. Any gaps let moisture escape and dry the meat during the long bake. A thick, unbroken paste acts as a seal that holds juices in.
“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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