Why it works: Garlic and olive are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 25,665 recipes. Both carry linalool, which smells floral, citrus. The science ↓
Classic French Lemon Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Measure lemon juice, lemon peel, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard and garlic into a salad bowl, then mix with a fork until blended.
Slowly add oil, beating with a fork until the mixture thickens.
Or place all ingredients in a jar and shake well until blended.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Garlic | 1 clove (3g) | 4 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Salad | not in our table | 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.
-
Garlic + olivetop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together25,665 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Lemon + peppertop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together27,047 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Pepper + clovetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
-
Mustard + garlictop 6% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together4,053 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Lemon + olivetop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,922 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the dressing and balances the richness of the oil.
- Salad or olive oil
- Provides fat and body, and thickens into the dressing as it is beaten in.
- Dijon-style mustard
- Acts as an emulsifier, helping oil and acid stay blended instead of separating.
- Garlic
- Contributes a sharp aroma and savoury flavour.
The step that matters
Adding the oil slowly while beating. Adding oil gradually breaks it into tiny droplets that stay suspended in the acidic liquid, so the dressing thickens. Pouring it in quickly can cause it to separate.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (lemon, pepper, mustard, garlic, olive):
- Thymefits better
- Parsleyfits better
- Capersfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against lemon, pepper, mustard, garlic, olive. 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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