Why it works: Tarragon and mustard match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 901 recipes. Both carry methyleugenol, which smells clove, spice. The science ↓
Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dressing
In a double boiler, combine egg yolks, vinegar, salt, and mustard.
Cook while stirring continually until thick and creamy.
Let it cool, then slowly stir in salad oil.
Finish and serve
Just before serving, fold in whipped cream.
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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Tarragon + mustardtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together901 recipes
Shared aroma: methyleugenol (clove, spice).
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Vinegar + tarragontop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,547 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Vinegar + mustardtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Tarragon + creamtop 21% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together574 recipes
Shared aroma: octanal (fat, soap).
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Egg + tarragontop 22% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,789 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyraldehyde (malty, chocolate).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Egg yolks
- Thicken the dressing and emulsify the oil, giving a creamy, rich texture when cooked.
- Vinegar
- Adds sharp acidity that balances the richness of the yolks and oil.
- Salad oil
- Adds fat and smoothness, forming a creamy emulsion with the yolk base.
- Whipped cream
- Lightens the dressing and adds airy, soft body just before serving.
The step that matters
Cook while stirring continually. Egg yolks can curdle or scramble if overheated or left unstirred. Gentle, constant stirring in a double boiler thickens the custard-like base smoothly.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, vinegar, tarragon, cream):
- Shallotfits about as well
- Mustardthe original
- Chivefits about as well
- Cucumberfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, vinegar, tarragon, 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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