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 ↓
Mayonnaise Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dressing
Separate the egg white from the yolk.
In a bowl, mix the yolk with the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and mustard.
Slowly add the oil, a few drops at a time, stirring steadily until the dressing thickens.
When about two-thirds of the oil is added, incorporate the vinegar gradually.
Continue stirring until all the oil is mixed in.
Chill the dressing until needed.
Finish and serve
Before serving, whip the egg white to a froth and gently fold it into the dressing.
If the mixture curdles, start over with a new egg and add the curdled mixture gradually.
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.
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Vinegar + mustardtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Lemon + mustardtop 11% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together3,816 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Lemon + white peppertop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,658 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Egg + lemontop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together44,316 recipes
Shared aroma: (e,e)-2,4-decadienal (fatty, deep fried).
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Vinegar + white peppertop 20% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,154 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Egg and lemon barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 44,316 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 yolk
- Its lecithin emulsifies the oil and water so the dressing thickens instead of separating.
- Salad oil
- Forms the bulk of the dressing, giving it richness and body as it is emulsified into the yolk.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens flavor and helps keep the emulsion stable when added later.
- Lemon juice
- Contributes acidity and a fresh citrus aroma to balance the rich oil.
- Egg white
- Whipped and folded in at the end to lighten the dressing and add airy texture.
The step that matters
Adding the oil slowly. Oil must be added a few drops at a time while stirring so it disperses into tiny droplets held by the yolk's lecithin. Adding it too fast overwhelms the emulsifier, and the dressing breaks and curdles.
Swap the white pepper
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, vinegar, lemon, mustard):
- Tarragonfits better
- Dillfits better
- Capersfits better
- White pepperthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, vinegar, lemon, mustard. 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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