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
Make the base
In a bowl, combine the egg yolks, salt, and cayenne pepper.
Slowly whisk in the oil until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Finish the sauce
Add the vinegar and cold water to lighten the sauce.
Incorporate the veal jelly to enhance the flavor.
Ensure all ingredients are fresh for the best taste.
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
- Act as the emulsifier that holds the oil and liquids together, giving the sauce its body.
- Oil
- Supplies the fat that gives mayonnaise its rich, creamy texture.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that brightens the flavor and cuts the richness of the oil.
- Veal jelly
- Adds savory depth and a little extra body to the sauce.
The step that matters
Adding the oil slowly. Egg yolks can only hold a limited amount of oil in suspension. Pouring the oil in a thin, slow stream while whisking lets each droplet be dispersed and emulsified. If it is added too fast, the emulsion breaks and the sauce turns oily and runny.
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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