Why it works: Egg and lemon are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 19% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 44,316 recipes. Both carry (e,e)-2,4-decadienal, which smells fatty, deep fried. The science ↓
Mayonnaise Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Make the emulsion
Chill the yolks of 3 eggs and the oil.
Drop oil a drop at a time into the eggs while stirring continuously.
When the mixture begins to thicken, add a teaspoon of vinegar and lemon juice, adding them a little at a time while stirring constantly.
Season and finish
Add mustard, paprika or red pepper, and salt.
If the dressing is too thick when ready to use, thin it with cream or beaten egg whites.
Whip the cream if it is used.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| 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.
-
Egg + lemontop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together44,316 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
-
Vinegar + lemontop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,334 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Vinegar + eggtop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together12,922 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Egg and lemon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 44,316 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 emulsify the oil and water, holding the dressing together as a smooth, thick sauce.
- Oil
- Forms the thick, rich body of the dressing as tiny droplets suspended in the yolk.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that balances the richness of the oil and sharpens the flavour.
- Lemon juice
- Adds bright acidity that lifts the flavour and balances the fat of the oil.
The step that matters
Adding the oil drop by drop. Egg yolk can only hold oil in a stable emulsion if the oil is added slowly at first while stirring. Pouring too fast breaks the emulsion, so the dressing stays runny or separates.
Swap the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, egg):
- Currantfits about as well
- Strawberryfits about as well
- Raspberryfits about as well
- Lemonthe original
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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