Why it works: Olive and lemon are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 11,922 recipes. Both carry 3-hexenal, which smells apple, fruity. The science ↓
Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Make the emulsion
Beat the yolks of 8 eggs until thick and lemon colored.
Drop 3 tablespoons olive oil in slowly, beating continually.
Add 1/10 cup melted butter, 1/10 cup vinegar and juice of 1 lemon slowly.
Cook and season
Cook in double boiler until it coats a spoon.
Remove from range and sift in 4 level teaspoons salt, 1/10 tablespoons mustard, 1/10 teaspoon white pepper, 1/10 teaspoon red pepper, and 3 tablespoons powdered sugar.
Finish
This dressing should be thinned with whipped cream.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 8 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| 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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
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.
-
Olive + lemontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,922 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Olive + vinegartop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,297 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, fruity).
-
Olive + buttertop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,887 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
-
Butter + lemontop 16% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,227 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Yolks thicken the dressing as they gently cook and set.
- Olive oil
- Fat that is beaten in slowly to form a smooth, rich emulsion.
- Melted butter
- Adds fat and richness to the dressing's flavor and mouthfeel.
- Vinegar
- Provides acidity that brightens the flavor and balances the fat.
- Lemon
- Its juice adds acidity and fresh citrus aroma.
- Powdered sugar
- Adds sweetness that balances the acidity and salt.
The step that matters
Cook in double boiler until it coats a spoon. Gentle heat thickens the egg yolks into a smooth, custard-like sauce. If the heat is too high or the cooking runs too long, the yolks can scramble and turn grainy.
Swap the white pepper
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, butter, sugar, egg, lemon, vinegar):
- Tarragonfits better
- Parsleyfits better
- Capersfits better
- White pepperthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against olive, butter, sugar, egg, lemon, 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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