Why it works: Vinegar and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 33% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 12,922 recipes. Both carry acetic acid, which smells sour, vinegar. The science ↓
Pimento and Cheese Sandwich
Ingredients
Directions
Make the filling
Grind 3 hard-boiled eggs, 1 lb. cream cheese, 3 pimentos, and 2 teaspoons salt in a food chopper.
Whisk 1 egg, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon flour, 4 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 2 cups cream or milk until smooth.
Cook and cool
Combine the chopper mixture with the dressing and boil until thick.
Let cool.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 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 + 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
- Cream cheese (in the method)
- Provides the creamy body and rich base of the spread.
- Eggs
- Add richness and help thicken the dressing as they set with heat.
- Pimentos
- Add sweet, mild flavor and color to the cheese mixture.
- Flour (in the method)
- Thickens the dressing when it is boiled.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavor and balances the richness.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds fat for a smoother texture and richer taste.
The step that matters
Boil the dressing until thick. Flour and egg thicken as they heat, so the dressing can scorch or turn lumpy on the bottom of the pan if it is not stirred while it boils.
“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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