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 ↓
Boiled Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Beat one egg, one tablespoon of sugar, one-fourth teaspoon of salt, and one-half teaspoon of ground mustard together thoroughly. Add one small cup of weak vinegar and boil until thickened, stirring constantly.
Combine one teaspoon mustard, one teaspoon salt, one teaspoon flour, five teaspoons sugar, three egg yolks, five tablespoons vinegar, and two tablespoons melted butter or olive oil. Cook in a double boiler and thin with cream; for a fruit salad, whip the cream.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| 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.
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.
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Mustard + vinegartop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Flour + buttertop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Mustard + flourtop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together5,066 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Sugar + flourtop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together92,116 recipes
Shared aroma: phenylacetaldehyde (hawthorne, honey).
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Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
Flour and butter barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 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 proteins thicken the dressing as they cook and set it into a creamy texture.
- Flour
- Starch thickens the liquid and helps keep the dressing smooth and stable.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that gives the dressing its tangy flavor and balances the sugar.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness that balances the sharpness of the vinegar.
- Butter
- Adds fat that makes the dressing richer and smoother in texture.
The step that matters
Stirring while the mixture boils. Egg proteins can scramble and curdle if the mixture overheats or stands unstirred, so constant stirring and gentle heat keep it smooth as it thickens.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, flour, butter, egg, vinegar):
- Shallotfits about as well
- Mustardthe original
- Chivefits about as well
- Cucumberfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, flour, butter, egg, vinegar. 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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