Why it works: Mustard and horseradish match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,832 recipes. Both carry coumarin, which smells sweet, hay. The science ↓
Tartar Mustard
Ingredients
Directions
Rub four ounces of the best Durham mustard very smooth with a full teaspoonful of salt.
Wet the mustard by degrees with strong horseradish vinegar, a dessertspoonful of cayenne or chili vinegar, and one or two of tarragon vinegar if desired.
Pour a quarter of a pint of boiling vinegar over an ounce of scraped horseradish, cover closely, and leave for one night; it will be ready to use, but better after two or three days.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 2 of 3 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 2 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| Vinegar | 1 tbsp (15ml) distilled | 3 |
| Horseradish | 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 + horseradishtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,832 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Mustard + vinegartop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Vinegar + horseradishtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,609 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Durham mustard
- Provides the main pungent flavour and the body of the sauce.
- Horseradish
- Adds sharp, pungent heat that infuses into the vinegar.
- Vinegar
- Carries the flavours and thins the mustard into a spreadable sauce.
The step that matters
Steeping the horseradish in boiling vinegar overnight. Pouring boiling vinegar over horseradish and covering it lets volatile pungent compounds infuse into the liquid. Leaving it to rest lets the flavour mellow and deepen, so cutting the steep short gives a harsher result.
“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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