Why it works: Pepper and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,814 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Mayonnaise Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
In a bowl, combine the egg yolks, black pepper, and coarse sea salt.
Using a wooden spoon, stir quickly while adding the Lucca oil drop by drop.
Continue stirring and gradually add the vinegar until the mixture is firm and smooth.
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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Pepper + vinegartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Egg + vinegartop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together12,922 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
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Egg + peppertop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together50,580 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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
- Egg yolks
- Lecithin in the yolks is the emulsifier that holds the oil and vinegar together as one smooth mixture.
- Lucca oil
- Forms the fat base that gives mayonnaise its rich body and thick texture.
- Vinegar
- Adds sharp acidity that balances the richness of the oil and gives a tangy flavor.
The step that matters
Adding the oil drop by drop. Oil must be dispersed into very fine droplets that the egg yolk lecithin can coat. Adding it too fast overwhelms the yolks, so the emulsion breaks and the mixture separates instead of becoming thick and smooth.
“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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