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 ↓
Mustard Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Mix
Combine one cup of sugar, one cup of vinegar, one tablespoonful of butter, four eggs, and one tablespoonful of mustard.
Beat the eggs well, then mix all together.
Cook and strain
Turn into a new tin pail or basin and boil in water as for custard, only to a cream, not thick.
Strain through a thin cloth. It is done.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| 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.
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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Vinegar + mustardtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Sugar + mustardtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,424 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Their proteins set when heated, thickening the sauce into a creamy texture.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness that balances the sharpness of the vinegar and mustard.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that gives the sauce its tang and sharpness.
- Butter
- Adds fat that gives the sauce richness and a smoother mouthfeel.
- Mustard
- Adds pungent flavor that gives the sauce its characteristic bite.
The step that matters
Cooking the mixture in a water bath as for custard. Eggs thicken as they heat, but if the mixture gets too hot it can curdle or scramble. Gentle, indirect heat in water keeps it smooth and creamy rather than thick and grainy.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sugar, vinegar, butter, egg):
- Mustardthe original
- Capsicumfits about as well
- Cucumberfits about as well
- Shallotfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against sugar, vinegar, butter, 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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