Why it works: Vinegar and mustard 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 ↓
Sauce Mayonaise
Ingredients
Directions
Make the emulsion
Separate the yolks of two raw eggs, ensuring no white is included.
Beat together one and a half mustardspoons of mixed mustard.
Add the best salad oil very slowly, stirring constantly until the mixture can be reversed without spilling.
Add one tablespoon of vinegar, cayenne, black pepper to taste, and one-half teaspoon salt. Stir briskly until the mixture is quite light colored.
Serve
Serve on lobster, lettuce, or fish.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
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.
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.
-
Vinegar + mustardtop 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).
-
Vinegar + peppertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Egg + mustardtop 28% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,210 recipes
Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
-
Vinegar + eggtop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together12,922 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Vinegar and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 12,922 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
- Eggs
- Egg yolks provide the lecithin that emulsifies the oil and vinegar into a thick, stable sauce.
- Salad oil (in the method)
- Supplies the fat that, dispersed in droplets, gives mayonnaise its rich body and texture.
- Mixed mustard
- Its mucilage helps stabilize the emulsion and adds sharp flavor.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavor and helps keep the emulsion stable.
The step that matters
Adding the oil slowly. Oil must be added in a thin stream while stirring so the droplets are broken up and coated by egg yolk. Adding it too fast overwhelms the yolk, and the emulsion breaks into a greasy, separated mixture.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, egg, pepper):
- Capsicumfits better
- Mustardthe original
- Cucumberfits about as well
- Cabbagefits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, egg, pepper. 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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