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
Prepare the egg mixture
Beat yolks of 3 eggs lightly with 1 teaspoon mustard, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and spoon pepper.
Beat whites of the eggs, but not stiff.
Add 1 cup cream, 2 cup melted butter, and 1/2 cup hot vinegar.
Cook and finish
Cook all together in double boiler until you can feel it is thickening the least bit.
Stir constantly, and when you take it from the fire stir until cool.
If necessary thin with whipped cream.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| 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.
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. See the original page.
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).
-
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Mustard + sugartop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,424 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Sugar + eggtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Yolks thicken the dressing as they gently set with heat, and whites add lightness.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness to balance the sharpness of the vinegar.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that gives the dressing its sharp, tangy flavour.
- Cream
- Adds richness and a smoother, softer texture to the dressing.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds fat for richness and a silkier mouthfeel.
- Mustard
- Adds sharp flavour and helps hold the emulsion together.
The step that matters
Cook all together in double boiler until you can feel it is thickening the least bit.. Egg proteins set with gentle heat and thicken the dressing, but too much heat makes them curdle into lumps. A double boiler and constant stirring keep the temperature low and even, and you should stop as soon as it begins to thicken.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, cream, vinegar, egg):
- Mustardthe original
- Cucumberfits about as well
- Capsicumfits about as well
- Horseradishfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, cream, 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.
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