Why it works: Mustard and celery are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 4,169 recipes. Both carry guaiacol, which smells smoky, sweet. The science ↓
Dressing for Tomatoes, Lettuce and Salads
Ingredients
Directions
Separate the yolks of 6 eggs.
Combine the yolks with 1 pt. vinegar, 1 tablespoon mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, 4 teaspoons sugar, 1 teaspoon celery seed, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1 tablespoon butter.
Beat the mixture well together.
Put the mixture on fire and let it cook until thick, stirring all the time.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Sugar | 1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated | 49 |
| Celery Seed | 1 stalk (40g) | 6 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Mustard | 1 tsp (5g) yellow | 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.
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Mustard + celerytop 2% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,169 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Celery + peppertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together16,012 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
-
Mustard + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,430 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
-
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Sugar + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Egg yolks thicken and set the dressing as they are heated.
- Mustard
- Adds a sharp flavour that balances the sweetness and richness.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness that offsets the sharpness of the vinegar.
- Butter
- Adds fat, giving the dressing a richer, smoother mouthfeel.
The step that matters
Cooking until thick while stirring constantly. Egg yolks thicken as they heat, but if the mixture gets too hot or sits still, the proteins can curdle or scramble. Constant stirring spreads the heat evenly so the dressing becomes smooth and thick.
Swap the celery
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (mustard, sugar, pepper, butter, egg):
- Capersfits better
- Tarragonfits better
- Cinnamonfits better
- Celerythe original
Fit is the average pairing score against mustard, sugar, pepper, butter, 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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