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 ↓
Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl, combine 1½ tablespoons of mixed mustard.
Slowly pour in the olive oil while beating continuously until it thickens and won't take more oil without separating.
Break in 1 whole egg and continue adding the oil gradually along with the other 2 eggs.
Beat until very stiff, then add the vinegar and seasoning.
Pour into 2 pint Mason jars and seal.
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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Vinegar + mustardtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Olive + mustardtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,950 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Olive + vinegartop 10% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,297 recipes
Shared aroma: isoamyl acetate (banana, fruity).
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Vinegar + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Sugar + mustardtop 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
- Olive oil
- Forms the bulk of the emulsion, giving the dressing its body and richness.
- Eggs
- Their proteins emulsify the oil and vinegar, thickening the dressing into a stable mixture.
- Mustard
- Its compounds help hold the oil and water-based ingredients together in a stable emulsion.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavor and balances the richness of the oil.
The step that matters
Adding the oil slowly while beating. Oil must be dispersed in tiny droplets so the egg and mustard can coat them. Adding it too fast overwhelms the emulsifiers, and the dressing separates instead of thickening.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, vinegar, sugar, egg):
- Capsicumfits about as well
- Cucumberfits about as well
- Mustardthe original
- Asparagusfits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against olive, vinegar, sugar, egg. 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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