Why it works: Mustard and tarragon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 901 recipes. Both carry methyleugenol, which smells clove, spice. The science ↓
Sunny Potato Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Combine potatoes, onion, tomato, celery, and bacon.
Blend mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and sugar.
Spoon dressing over potato salad; toss gently to coat.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 10 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Potato | 1 medium (173g) baked | 161 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Onion | 1 medium (110g) | 44 |
| Bacon | 1 slice cooked (8g) | 43 |
| Tomato | 1 medium (123g) | 22 |
| Celery | 1 stalk (40g) | 6 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Tarragon | 1 tsp dried (0.5g) | 2 |
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.
-
Mustard + tarragontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together901 recipes
Shared aroma: methyleugenol (clove, spice).
-
Celery + tarragontop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together456 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Celery + mustardtop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,169 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Potato + oniontop 3% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,023 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Tomato + celerytop 4% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together3,377 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Potatoes
- Form the bulk of the salad and hold their shape when sliced thickly and dressed.
- Mayonnaise
- Adds fat and creaminess that coats the potatoes and carries the flavor of the dressing.
- Yellow mustard
- Adds sharp tang and emulsifies with the mayonnaise to give the dressing body.
- Tarragon vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the dressing and balances the richness of the mayonnaise.
- Bacon
- Adds savory, smoky flavor and a crisp contrast in texture.
The step that matters
Dress the potatoes while they are still warm. Warm potatoes absorb the dressing more readily than cold ones, so tossing gently at this stage helps the flavor penetrate. Handling them roughly can break the slices apart.
Swap the onion
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (potato, tomato, celery, mustard, tarragon, vinegar, sugar):
- Lettucefits better
- Horseradishfits better
- Broccolifits better
- Onionthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against potato, tomato, celery, mustard, tarragon, vinegar, sugar. 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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