Why it works: Cabbage and mustard match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,645 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
Directions
Mix the salad
Combine two quarts finely chopped cabbage, two tablespoons salt, two tablespoons white sugar, one tablespoon black pepper, and a heaping tablespoon of ground mustard.
Rub the yolks of four hard-boiled eggs until smooth.
Add half a cup of butter, slightly warmed.
Mix thoroughly with the cabbage.
Add a teacup of good vinegar.
Serve
Serve with the whites of the eggs sliced and placed on the salad.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cabbage | 1 cup shredded (89g) | 22 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| 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.
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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Cabbage + mustardtop 3% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,645 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Cabbage + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,081 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Mustard + vinegartop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Pepper + mustardtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,430 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Cabbage + vinegartop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,924 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Cabbage
- Forms the bulk of the salad and provides its crisp texture.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds richness and fat that coats the cabbage and softens the sharp flavours.
- Egg yolks
- Mashed smooth, they add creaminess and help bind the dressing.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the salad and balances the richness.
- Ground mustard
- Contributes a sharp, pungent flavour that cuts through the fat.
The step that matters
Rub the yolks smooth before adding the butter. Yolks broken down into a smooth paste blend evenly with warm butter, forming an emulsion, instead of leaving greasy streaks or lumps in the dressing.
Swap the cabbage
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, pepper, mustard, vinegar):
- Horseradishfits better
- Capsicumfits better
- Shallotfits about as well
- Cabbagethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, pepper, mustard, vinegar. 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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