From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our mustard fields have just come into bloom, and for a week or so the roadsides here will be lapped by waves of molten gold and yellow. The flowers will be followed by a crop of seeds that will assure both greens and condiments for the coming year. These plants have a rage to live. They are by nature squatters and will grow anywhere they can find room. In a good year, two pounds of seeds, growing on a cultivated acre, will produce a half-billion seeds, and guarantee full larders for the season. As it happens, I use a lot of mustard when I'm cooking for the Easter holiday. There is a ham to glaze and lamb that needs the protection of a coat of crusty persillade. There are also roast potatoes that will be made savory with a sauce whose base is mustard. It sounds like a lot I know, but I use a nuanced hand with the mustard and do not allow its flavor to dominate. Even so, my small jar of Dijon wouldn't be enough for all three dishes While calculating how much I would need for cooking, I realized that I had never made my own. A quick search for a recipe and a pantry raid assured I had everything I need to proceed. So I did. I really enjoy this type of kitchen project. I'm not a glutton for punishment and I don't take "from scratch" as seriously as some, but I like to know that in a pinch I could keep my kitchen running smoothly. Mustard has now been moved from my to-do to can-do list. Here's the recipe I used to make my own Dijon-style mustard. I think you'll like it.
Honey Dijon Mustard...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of The Cook’s Book of Uncommon Recipes
Ingredients:
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
2 cups dry white wine
4 ounces dry mustard
4 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
Directions:
1) Peel and finely chop onion. Peel and mince garlic. Combine onion and garlic with wine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Pour through a strainer and discard onion and garlic.
2) Add dry mustard to flavored wine to make a paste. Add honey, oil, and salt and mix well. Return mixture to saucepan and cook over low heat until it thickens while you stir constantly. (Since there are no thickening agents used, you will be thickening it by evaporating the liquid away.)
3) Cool to room temperature and then stir well and store in a covered jar in refrigerator. Yield: 1-1/2 cups.
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This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.
