Why it works: Tarragon and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,547 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
New Mayonnaise Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Put melted aspic on ice.
Whisk until it becomes a white froth.
Emulsify
Gradually add oil while stirring continuously.
Incorporate tarragon vinegar.
Continue mixing until the sauce is smooth and stable.
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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Tarragon + vinegartop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,547 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Tarragon + eggtop 22% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,789 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyraldehyde (malty, chocolate).
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Vinegar + eggtop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together12,922 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Vinegar and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 12,922 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Oil
- Provides the fat that forms the body of the sauce as tiny droplets dispersed through it.
- Tarragon vinegar
- Adds acidity and sharp flavour that balances the richness of the oil.
- Egg yolk
- Contains lecithin, which helps hold oil and water-based liquid together as a stable emulsion.
The step that matters
Gradually add oil while stirring continuously. Adding oil too quickly before the mixture has emulsified can overwhelm it, so the oil separates instead of forming a smooth, stable sauce.
“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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