Why it works: Mustard and horseradish match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 1% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,832 recipes. Both carry coumarin, which smells sweet, hay. The science ↓
Tartar Mustard
Ingredients
Directions
Make the mustard
Rub the Durham mustard very smooth with the coarse sea salt.
Gradually wet the mixture with the horseradish vinegar.
Add the cayenne or Chili vinegar and tarragon vinegar to taste.
Steep and rest
Pour boiling vinegar over the scraped horseradish and cover tightly.
Let it sit overnight, but for best results, allow it to stand for 2-3 days.
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.
-
Mustard + horseradishtop 1% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together1,832 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
-
Mustard + vinegartop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Vinegar + horseradishtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,609 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Durham mustard
- Provides the main mustard flavor and the thick body of the condiment.
- Horseradish vinegar
- Adds sharp acidity and liquid that loosens the mustard into a spoonable paste.
- Scraped horseradish
- Contributes pungent heat and aroma that mellow as the mixture rests.
- Cayenne or chili vinegar
- Adds extra heat and a sharper, spicy finish.
The step that matters
Rubbing the mustard smooth before adding liquid. Mustard powder forms lumps when liquid hits it all at once. Rubbing it smooth with salt first and adding vinegar gradually lets the particles hydrate evenly for a smooth paste.
“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
Horseradish Sauce17 recipes
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 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.