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 Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Mix three teaspoons of sugar, one-half teaspoon of mustard, one teaspoon salt, and one teaspoon corn starch.
Beat the ingredients into the yolks of two eggs.
Add three tablespoons of cream, one-half cup vinegar, and the beaten whites of two eggs.
Cook until it thickens, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and add one and one-half tablespoons olive oil.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| 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).
-
Mustard + olivetop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,950 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
-
Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
-
Corn + olivetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,502 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
-
Vinegar + olivetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,297 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, fruity).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Egg yolks and whites thicken the dressing as they cook and bind it into a smooth emulsion.
- Corn starch
- Starch swells when heated and thickens the dressing so it coats leaves.
- Olive oil
- Fat added off the heat adds richness and body to the finished dressing.
- Vinegar
- Acidity gives the dressing its sharp, tangy flavor and balances the sugar.
- Cream
- Milk fat adds richness and a softer, smoother texture to the dressing.
The step that matters
Cook until it thickens, stirring constantly. Egg proteins can scramble and curdle if the mixture overheats or sits still. Constant stirring spreads the heat evenly while the starch thickens, giving a smooth dressing.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, corn, cream, vinegar, olive, egg):
- Capsicumfits better
- Mustardthe original
- Cucumberfits about as well
- Asparagusfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, corn, cream, vinegar, olive, 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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