Why it works: Mustard and vinegar 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 small round deep dish or bowl, combine salt, mustard, and cayenne pepper.
Use a wooden spoon to mix until there are no lumps.
Add 1 teaspoon of cold water and mix well.
Gradually add 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil while stirring continuously.
Add a few drops of vinegar.
Add the egg yolks.
Continue adding oil gradually.
As the mixture thickens, add a few more drops of vinegar.
Incorporate about half of the vinegar.
Adjust with more vinegar or water if the dressing is too thick.
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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Mustard + vinegartop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together14,067 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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Mustard + peppertop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together15,430 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
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Pepper + vinegartop 14% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together27,814 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
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Egg + mustardtop 28% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,210 recipes
Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
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Egg + vinegartop 33% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together12,922 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Egg and vinegar barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 12,922 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Oil
- Forms the body of the dressing, giving it richness and a smooth, thick texture.
- Egg yolks
- Emulsifiers that bind oil and liquid so the dressing stays thick instead of separating.
- Vinegar
- Adds sharpness that balances the richness of the oil and egg yolks.
- Dry mustard
- Supports the emulsion and adds a sharp, savoury bite.
The step that matters
Adding the oil gradually. Oil must be added slowly while stirring so it disperses into tiny droplets held by the egg yolk emulsifier. Adding it too fast breaks the emulsion and the dressing separates.
Swap the mustard
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, pepper, vinegar):
- Capsicumfits better
- Mustardthe original
- Cucumberfits about as well
- Cabbagefits less well
Fit is the average pairing score against egg, pepper, vinegar. 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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