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 ↓
Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Combine one hard boiled egg, 1 teaspoonful of ground mustard, 1 teaspoonful of salt, and a little cayenne pepper, then beat these well together.
Add yolk of 1 raw egg and beat until perfectly smooth.
Pour in oil gradually until the dressing becomes a thick rich cream.
Add vinegar to taste.
If too much oil is dropped in, use a small lump of ice.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 4 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 3 |
| 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.
-
Mustard + vinegartop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Mustard + eggtop 28% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,210 recipes
Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
-
Egg + vinegartop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together12,922 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Egg and vinegar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 12,922 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
- Raw egg yolk
- Emulsifies the oil into the mixture, helping the dressing thicken and stay smooth.
- Hard boiled egg
- Its cooked yolk adds body and richness, helping bind the dressing.
- Ground mustard
- Its compounds help emulsify the oil and add sharpness.
The step that matters
Pouring in the oil gradually. Oil must be added slowly so that it disperses into tiny droplets held by the egg yolk. Adding too much at once breaks the emulsion, leaving the dressing thin and oily.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, vinegar):
- Cucumberfits about as well
- Mustardthe original
- Capsicumfits about as well
- Shallotfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, 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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