Name: Chili Dressing, Served with Head Lettuce
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons mayonnaise; 2 teaspoons chopped parsley; 3 tablespoons chili sauce; a few drops of mushroom catsup; 1 or 2 pimentos, chopped fine

Why it works: Parsley and mushroom are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 6,132 recipes. Both carry 2,4-decadienal, which smells seaweed. The science ↓

Chili Dressing, Served with Head Lettuce

Ingredients

3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
3 tablespoons chili sauce
a few drops of mushroom catsup
1 or 2 pimentos, chopped fine

Directions

Combine the mayonnaise, chopped parsley, chili sauce, and mushroom catsup in a bowl, then mix well until smooth.
Add the chopped pimentos and stir to combine.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

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.

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.

Parsley + mushroomtop 11% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together6,132 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Sauce + mushroomtop 19% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together4,480 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Parsley + saucetop 23% of all pairs

Smell alikelow

Cooked together6,693 recipes

Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Mayonnaise: Provides the creamy, emulsified base and body of the dressing.
Chili sauce: Adds tomato-based acidity, sweetness and a spiced, savory flavor.
Pimentos: Add sweet, mild pepper flavor and a bit of color and texture.