Why it works: Vinegar and mustard 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
Make the dressing
In a saucepan, mix the eggs, vinegar, butter, salt, cornstarch, dry mustard, and small cup of vinegar.
Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and let cool.
Finish and store
Once cooled, add cream to achieve desired consistency.
Store in a cool place; it will keep for 3 weeks to a month.
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.
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.
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Vinegar + mustardtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
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Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Butter + mustardtop 22% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,003 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Vinegar + buttertop 23% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together13,513 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, pear).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Eggs
- Thicken the dressing as they set with heat, giving it body and richness.
- Cornstarch
- Thickens the dressing as it heats, giving a smooth, stable consistency.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that gives the dressing its tangy flavor.
- Butter
- Adds fat for a rounder mouthfeel and smoother texture.
- Cream
- Thins the cooled dressing to the desired consistency and adds richness.
The step that matters
Cook over medium heat until thick, stirring constantly. Egg proteins can scramble if the mixture overheats or stands still, and cornstarch needs steady heat and stirring to thicken smoothly without lumps. Constant stirring keeps heat even and the texture silky.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, vinegar, butter, cream):
- Chivefits about as well
- Potatofits about as well
- Asparagusfits about as well
- Mustardthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, vinegar, butter, cream. 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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