Why it works: Mustard and vinegar 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 ↓
Boiled Dressing III
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Dissolve 1 teaspoon dry mustard in 1 tablespoon boiling water.
Beat the egg yolks.
Make the dressing
Add 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon melted butter, 1 saltspoon salt, 1 tablespoon thyme, and beat thoroughly.
Heat 2 cups vinegar, then add it to the mixture and cook all together in a double boiler until thick.
Serve
Add whipped cream to taste when used.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| 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 |
| Water | 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.
-
Mustard + vinegartop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Mustard + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,430 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Vinegar + peppertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
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).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Egg yolks thicken the dressing as they cook and give it a smooth, rich body.
- Butter
- Melted butter adds richness and a smooth, mellow texture to the dressing.
- Vinegar
- Vinegar provides the sharp acidity that gives the dressing its tang.
- Sugar
- Sugar adds sweetness that balances the sharpness of the vinegar.
- Dry mustard
- Dry mustard adds a sharp, pungent flavour that complements the eggs and vinegar.
The step that matters
Cooking the dressing in the double boiler until thick. Egg yolks thicken through gentle heat, but if they get too hot they can curdle or scramble. Cooking over simmering water and stirring steadily keeps the mixture smooth while it thickens.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, sugar, egg, vinegar, pepper):
- Capsicumfits better
- Mustardthe original
- Cucumberfits about as well
- Shallotfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, sugar, egg, vinegar, pepper. 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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