By itself, mustard seed, unlike most other spices, has little taste or aroma, even when ground. But moisten the ground seed with water, wine or other liquid, and within 10 minutes or so the mixture is transformed into a pungent paste hot enough to clear your head.
Mustard’s pungency and warmth has appealed to the human palate for thousands of years, resulting in a variety of prepared mustards, from American to coarse-grain, English and German-style. Each has its devotees, but no mustard is more renowned in the Western world than Dijon, a blend of select brown mustard seed, white wine, herbs and other unspecified (secret) ingredients.
This world-class mustard is named for a city in the French province of Burgundy, where its production has been strictly regulated since the 17th Century. Authentic “original Dijon” is characteristically smooth and mildly pungent. But there also are hundreds of “Dijon-style” variations on the original recipe, some of them quite good.
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With mustards, as with cheese, wine, olive oil and other specialty foods, taste testing is the best way to determine whether the quality and character of the item is to your liking. Experimenting will reveal which mustards you prefer for serving as a condiment or for incorporating into dishes.
Success tips
Mustard adds body to a vinaigrette, especially if you gradually whisk in the oil so that the dressing emulsifies.
Refrigerate prepared mustards after opening them and keep them tightly sealed. Once opened, prepared mustards begin to lose flavor; buy them in small amounts and use them up quickly.
Creamy mustard vinaigrette
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Yield: About 1/2 cup
– This assertive dressing is particularly good with strong-flavored salad greens such as romaine, escarole and Belgian endive, and with cold meats, poultry or fish. In place of regular Dijon, you can use another Dijon variety flavored with herbs, green peppercorns or other seasonings, or a coarse-grained mustard.
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
Whisk the vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl; gradually pour in oil in a fine stream, whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper, if needed. Dressing can be refrigerated, covered, up to 1 week. Whisk before using to blend.
Nutrition information per tablespoon:
91 calories, 98% of calories from fat, 10 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0.5 g carbohydrates, 0 g protein, 104 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
Mixed greens, beets and pecans with creamy mustard vinaigrette
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Standing time: 5 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
– This hearty salad of romaine lettuce, Belgian endive, beets and pecans is dressed with a full-bodied mustard vinaigrette.
5 small beets
3/4 pound Belgian endive, trimmed, leaves separated, cut crosswise into thin strips
1/2 cup creamy mustard vinaigrette, see recipe
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12 leaves romaine lettuce, cut in strips 1/2-inch wide
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1. Place beets in steamer top above boiling water. Cover tightly; cook over high heat, adding boiling water occasionally as needed, until beets are tender, about 30-35 minutes. Remove beets; let cool. Peel beets while holding them under cold running water. Set aside.
2. Combine endive with about half of the vinaigrette in medium bowl; toss. Set aside to marinate 5 minutes.
3. Just before serving, dice beets; add to endive mixture. Add strips of romaine; toss gently. Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired. Sprinkle with pecans. Pass remaining vinaigrette at the table.
Nutrition information per serving:
167 calories, 74% of calories from fat, 14 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 9 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 389 mg sodium, 4 g fiber