Why it works: Lemon and egg are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 19% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 44,316 recipes. Both carry (e,e)-2,4-decadienal, which smells fatty, deep fried. The science ↓
★ Improved Mayonnaise Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dressing
Beat 4 large eggs, ⅓ cup oil, ⅓ cup lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon salt.
Beat all the ingredients in the inner cup of a double boiler just enough to blend well.
Cook and finish
Put the inner cup into the outer boiler containing warm water, set over fire, stir with a wooden spoon continuously, occasionally removing the inner cup and stirring if danger of cooking too rapidly.
When the dressing begins to thicken, remove from the fire and set in a dish of cold water, stirring until partially cooled.
Strain through a wire strainer.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Olive Oil | 1 tbsp (14g) | 119 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
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 + eggtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together44,316 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
-
Cream + eggtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together42,166 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
-
Lemon + creamtop 30% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together15,640 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Lemon and egg barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 44,316 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
- Eggs
- Thicken and emulsify the dressing as they set with gentle heat, giving it body.
- Oil
- Adds richness and smooth texture by emulsifying into the egg mixture.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavour and balances the richness of the oil.
The step that matters
Stir continuously over warm water and remove from heat when it begins to thicken. Egg proteins set with heat, so cooking too fast can curdle the eggs and leave lumps. Gentle, constant stirring over warm water and cooling promptly keeps the dressing smooth and thick.
Swap the lemon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (cream, egg):
- Vanillafits better
- Raspberryfits better
- Strawberryfits better
- Lemonthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against cream, egg. 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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