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 ↓
Cabbage Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dressing
Stir four well-beaten eggs into one pint of vinegar over a slow fire until the mixture is thick and hot (not boiling).
Mix in two teaspoonfuls each of mustard, black pepper, and salt, and one-half cup of oil or melted butter.
Chill and store
Do not stir the dressing into cabbage or cauliflower until it is quite cold.
Store the dressing in a cool place for up to a month.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetable | 1 tbsp (14g) | 120 |
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| 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.
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.
-
Vinegar + mustardtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Mustard + eggtop 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
- Thicken the vinegar mixture as they gently set with heat, giving the dressing body.
- Vinegar
- Provides the sharp acidity that gives the dressing its tang and balances the richness.
- Mustard
- Adds sharp, pungent flavour and helps keep the dressing smooth.
- Oil
- Adds fat for a richer mouthfeel and softens the sharpness of the vinegar.
The step that matters
Heat the eggs and vinegar slowly, without boiling. Egg proteins set when heated, so gentle heat thickens the mixture smoothly. If it gets too hot, the eggs can scramble and curdle, leaving a grainy dressing.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, egg):
- Cucumberfits about as well
- Mustardthe original
- Capsicumfits about as well
- Shallotfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against 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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