Why it works: Onion and garlic match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 29,058 recipes. Both carry furaneol, which smells caramel, strawberry. The science ↓
Wisconsin-style Maple Bacon Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Make the bacon fat base
Stir-fry bacon in a large saucepan until extremely crisp.
Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Pour all of the bacon drippings into a glass measuring cup and, if necessary, add olive oil to bring the level to ½ cup.
Return the mixture to the saucepan.
Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent.
Finish the dressing
Remove the pan from heat and pour in vinegar.
Add maple syrup.
Over low heat, blend the mixture with a wire whisk and heat until warm.
Whisk in salt, mayonnaise, and chives until smooth and blended.
Remove from heat.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 9 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Maple Syrup | 1 tbsp (20ml) | 52 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Chives | 1 tbsp (3g) | 1 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
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.
-
Onion + garlictop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together29,058 recipes
Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).
-
Garlic + chivetop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,149 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Olive + garlictop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together25,665 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Onion + chivetop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,907 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Olive + chivetop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,633 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Bacon
- Adds smoky, savory flavor and rendered fat that forms the dressing's base.
- Bermuda onion
- Sweetens and adds aroma when sautéed until translucent in the bacon fat.
- Red wine vinegar
- Adds acidity that balances the sweetness of the maple syrup.
- Maple syrup
- Provides sweetness and rich maple flavor that counterbalances the vinegar.
- Mayonnaise
- Adds fat and creaminess, giving the dressing a smooth, emulsified body.
The step that matters
Whisking in the mayonnaise over low heat. Mayonnaise is an emulsion that can separate or turn greasy if it gets too hot. Keeping the heat low and whisking until smooth helps the dressing stay creamy and blended.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, onion, garlic, red wine, vinegar, maple syrup, chive):
- Thymefits better
- Rosemaryfits better
- Capersfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against olive, onion, garlic, red wine, vinegar, maple syrup, chive. 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.
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