Why it works: Pepper and tarragon match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,399 recipes. Both carry estragole, which smells anise, licorice. The science ↓
Mayonnaise
Ingredients
Directions
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with salt and cayenne pepper.
Slowly add the oil while whisking continuously until the mixture thickens and is smooth.
Incorporate the vinegar and cold water to lighten the sauce.
If using, add the veal jelly and mix until well combined.
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 + tarragontop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together2,399 recipes
Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).
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Tarragon + vealtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together217 recipes
Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
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Pepper + vealtop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,049 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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Egg + tarragontop 22% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together1,789 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-methylbutyraldehyde (malty, chocolate).
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Egg + vealtop 28% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together6,845 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
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 into the sauce and give it its thick, smooth body.
- Oil
- Forms the bulk of the sauce, suspended in droplets to create its rich texture.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that sharpens flavor and helps stabilize the emulsion.
- Veal jelly
- Adds body and gelatin for extra richness and thickness.
The step that matters
Slowly add the oil while whisking continuously. Oil must be dispersed in small droplets among the egg yolk's lecithin proteins to form a stable emulsion. Adding it too fast overwhelms the yolks, so the sauce breaks and separates into a greasy liquid.
Swap the tarragon
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, pepper, veal):
- Parsleyfits better
- Sagefits about as well
- Tarragonthe original
- Nutmegfits about as well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, pepper, veal. 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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