Why it works: Lemon and olive 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 ↓
French Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Put salt, pepper, and lemon juice into a chilled cup.
Add the olive oil, then stir constantly and gradually add the vinegar.
Use lemon juice instead of vinegar if desired.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 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.
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.
-
Lemon + olivetop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,922 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
-
Vinegar + olivetop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,297 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, fruity).
-
Lemon + vinegartop 20% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together7,334 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Olive oil
- Forms the fat base that gives the dressing its body and smooth mouthfeel.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that sharpens flavor and balances the richness of the oil.
- Lemon juice
- Provides acidity and bright citrus flavor as an alternative or addition to vinegar.
The step that matters
Add the vinegar gradually while stirring constantly. Oil and vinegar do not mix on their own. Adding the acid slowly while stirring breaks the oil into tiny droplets suspended in the liquid, creating a temporarily emulsified dressing that stays smooth instead of separating.
Swap the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, olive):
- Cherryfits better
- Avocadofits better
- Plumfits better
- Lemonthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, olive. 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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