Why it works: Olive and lemon are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,922 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓
French Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dressing
In a cup, combine 1 teaspoonful of mustard, 1 teaspoonful of salt, 1 teaspoonful of sugar, and pepper.
Dissolve the mixture with 1 tablespoonful of lemon juice or vinegar and 1 teaspoonful of cayenne.
Beat the dissolved mixture into 3 tablespoonfuls of olive oil.
Finish and chill
Add a grating of onion.
Keep on ice or in a cool place until ready for use.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 3 of 4 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Olive | 1 large (4g) | 4 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Salad Dressing | not in our table | 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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Olive + lemontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,922 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Olive oil
- Forms the bulk of the dressing, carrying flavour and giving a smooth, rich texture.
- Lemon juice or vinegar
- Adds acidity that sharpens the flavour and balances the richness of the oil.
- Mustard (in the method)
- Helps hold the oil and acid together as a more stable, blended emulsion.
- Sugar (in the method)
- Adds a little sweetness that softens the sharpness of the acid.
- Onion (in the method)
- Contributes aroma and a mild savoury bite.
The step that matters
Beating the dissolved mixture into the olive oil. Oil and acid naturally separate. Adding the oil gradually while beating breaks it into tiny droplets, and mustard helps keep them suspended so the dressing stays blended rather than splitting.
“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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