Why it works: Vinegar and pepper 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 ↓
French Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
In a bowl, combine the oil and vinegar or lemon juice in a 2:1 ratio.
Add ¼ teaspoon of salt for each tablespoon of oil.
Season with pepper or paprika to taste.
Beat with a spoon until well blended.
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.
-
Vinegar + peppertop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Oil
- Forms the body of the dressing and carries fat-soluble flavor, giving a smooth mouthfeel.
- Vinegar or lemon juice
- Provides acidity that sharpens the flavor and balances the richness of the oil.
The step that matters
Beat with a spoon until well blended.. Oil and acid separate on standing. Vigorous beating breaks the oil into small droplets dispersed in the acid, so the dressing looks combined. Without an emulsifier, it will separate again, so beat or shake just before serving.
“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.
You might also like
Chicken Salad623 recipes
Salad Dressing491 recipes
Tomato Salad179 recipes
Cold Slaw160 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.