Why it works: Mustard and vinegar 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 Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dressing
In a basin, combine the yolks of 4 fresh eggs.
Slowly mix in 1 quart of oil drop by drop, stirring with a wooden spoon until well combined.
Add 2 teaspoons of salt, 2 teaspoons of prepared mustard, 2 tablespoons of chili sauce, 2 tablespoons of French vinegar, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, and 2 tablespoons of Harvey sauce. Mix well.
Gradually add 1 quart of heavy cream and mix until smooth.
Store
Bottle the sauce for use.
It can be stored for up to six months if made properly.
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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Mustard + vinegartop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Sauce + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,787 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Mustard + saucetop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,120 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Egg + creamtop 24% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together42,166 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
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Vinegar + creamtop 25% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,064 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Egg and cream barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 42,166 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
- Emulsify the oil and cream into a thick, stable dressing.
- Oil
- Provides the fat that gives the dressing its body and richness.
- Heavy cream
- Adds smoothness and richness, softening the dressing's texture.
- Prepared mustard
- Helps hold the emulsion together and adds a sharp tang.
- French vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the dressing and balances the fat.
The step that matters
Adding the oil drop by drop. Oil must be added slowly while stirring so the yolk lecithin can surround the droplets. Adding it too fast breaks the emulsion, leaving the dressing oily and separated.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, sauce, vinegar, cream):
- Horseradishfits about as well
- Mustardthe original
- Shallotfits less well
- Capsicumfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, sauce, vinegar, 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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