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 ↓
Prepared Mustard
Ingredients
Directions
In a bowl, combine mustard, sugar, and salt.
Add boiling water gradually to form a paste.
Once cooled, stir in salad oil.
Add vinegar to achieve desired consistency.
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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Sugar + vinegartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Mustard + sugartop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together8,424 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mustard
- Provides the main flavour and pungency of the condiment.
- Salad oil
- Adds fat that gives the finished mustard a smoother, richer mouthfeel.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that sharpens the flavour and adjusts the consistency to taste.
The step that matters
Add boiling water gradually to form a paste. Pour the water in slowly while stirring. Adding it all at once can make the paste lumpy and uneven. Mustard's pungency develops when the powder is moistened, so a smooth, well-mixed paste gives a more even heat.
“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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