Why it works: Mustard and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 14,067 recipes. Both carry isobutyraldehyde, which smells malty, green. The science ↓
Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Make the base
In a bowl, beat together the flour, butter, and mustard until creamy.
Add the eggs and vinegar, mixing well.
Cook and flavor
Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for 20 minutes until it thickens like custard.
Flavor with black pepper and celery extract to taste.
Store
Store in a cool place for up to six weeks.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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.
-
Mustard + vinegartop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Mustard + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,430 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + mustardtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,066 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Pepper + vinegartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Flour and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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
- Flour
- Thickens the mixture and gives it body as it cooks.
- Butter
- Adds fat for richness and a smoother, creamier texture.
- Eggs
- Set into a custard-like texture as they heat, thickening the dressing.
- Vinegar
- Adds the sharp acidity that defines the dressing's flavor.
- Mustard
- Helps bind the fats and liquids together for a smoother dressing.
The step that matters
Cook over low heat while stirring constantly. Egg proteins set and thicken gently at moderate heat. Too much heat or stopping to stir can overcook the eggs, causing them to curdle or scramble and leaving the dressing lumpy.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (flour, butter, pepper, vinegar, egg):
- Shallotfits about as well
- Capsicumfits about as well
- Chivefits about as well
- Mustardthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against flour, butter, pepper, vinegar, egg. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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.
More salad dressing recipes
You might also like
Chicken Salad623 recipes
Tomato Salad179 recipes
Cold Slaw160 recipes
French Dressing58 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.