Why it works: Pepper and vinegar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 14% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 27,814 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Salad Dressing
Ingredients
Directions
Make the dressing
Beat the egg yolks thoroughly in a bowl.
Place the bowl in a pan of hot water and stir in the butter until blended.
Add the vinegar, then stir in the sugar, salt, and pepper.
If desired, add mustard.
Finish and serve
Once cold, mix with cabbage.
For presentation, place rings of red sweet pepper on the salad.
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 + vinegartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Vinegar + sugartop 15% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together20,806 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-damascenone (apple, rose).
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Egg + buttertop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
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Butter + sugartop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together98,233 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
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Egg + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together122,807 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 dressing and thicken it into a creamy, smooth texture as they cook gently.
- Butter
- Adds richness and smoothness, helping the dressing stay silky and blended.
- Vinegar
- Adds acidity that balances the richness of the yolks and butter.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness that softens the sharpness of the vinegar.
The step that matters
Warming the yolks in hot water. Heat must be gentle. Stirring the butter into warm yolks thickens them smoothly, while overheating can scramble the eggs and leave the dressing lumpy.
“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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