Why it works: Pepper and clove match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 17,451 recipes. Both carry ethyl octanoate, which smells fruity, wine. The science ↓
Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Rub a clove of garlic over the bottom of a bowl.
In the bowl, mix oil, salt, and pepper.
Add vinegar a little at a time while stirring continually until well mixed.
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 + clovetop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together17,451 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
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Pepper + garlictop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,090 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
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Clove + garlictop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together11,368 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
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Vinegar + garlictop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,115 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
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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 flavour.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the dressing and balances the oil.
- Garlic
- Adds aroma and sharp flavour to the dressing.
The step that matters
Add vinegar a little at a time while stirring. Oil and vinegar do not mix on their own. Adding vinegar slowly while whisking breaks the oil into tiny droplets, creating a temporary emulsion that stays blended rather than separating.
Swap the clove
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (vinegar, pepper, garlic):
- Parsleyfits better
- Tarragonfits better
- Basilfits better
- Clovethe original
Fit is the average pairing score against vinegar, pepper, garlic. 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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