THE Secret Weapon for More ZING!
Wikipedia tells us “Dijon mustard (French: Moutarde de Dijon) is a traditional mustard of France, named after the city of Dijon in Burgundy, France, which was the center of mustard making in the late Middle Ages and was granted exclusive rights in France in the 17th century. First used in 1336 for the table of King Philip VI, it assumed its current form in 1856 when Jean Naigeon of Dijon replaced the vinegar usually used in prepared mustard with verjuice, the acidic juice of unripe grapes.
“The main ingredients of the modern condiment are brown mustard seeds (Brassica juncea) and a mixture of white wine, vinegar, water, and salt designed to imitate the original verjuice.”
Because it’s tangy and packed with flavor, it can be used as an accompaniment to all meats in its usual form as a paste, or it can be mixed with other ingredients to make a sauce.
It’s good to look at this condiment outside of the role of sandwich spread. It can do so much more. It's perfect with eggs or potatoes (i.e. devilled eggs, egg salad, mashed potatoes, potato salad). And it provides the right finishing note for simple cheese dishes like mac and cheese, raclette, or a grilled cheese sandwich. (NOTE: Be sure to add it to hot dishes at the end, not the start, to retain the spiciness on the palette.)
Truly, Dijon mustard can be THE secret weapon that home cooks use to add extra zing to any dish. I like to mix it into my hummus recipe for a depth of flavor I can’t get any other way. But a favorite use at our house is to mix it with mayonnaise and plenty of crumbled cooked bacon; we then spread thick layers of this mixture on toast for our summer BLTs. WOW!
The folks at Epicurious (www.epicurious.com) are Dijon mustard fans as well. They have their own favorite ways of using it. For instance:
AS A SALAD DRESSING. After oil and vinegar, Dijon is the next in line for salad dressing essentials. Its thickness and composition help incorporate the oil and vinegar, and the extra bit of heat you get is great on bitter greens like escarole or friseé.
AS AN EASY BUT TASTY MARINADE. Just make a puree of garlic, herbs, wine, and some Dijon mustard. It’ll tenderize tougher cuts of meat like lamb leg or flank steak. You’ll like the unusual flavor it provides.
AS A UNIQUE GLAZE. Glazed carrots are pretty great on their own—a buttery, sweet version of a vegetable everyone likes. But add about a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the method and you’re really going off the rails!
AS A WAY TO KICK UP YOUR CHEESE DIP. Pretzels in mustard are good. Pretzels in cheese are even better. Pretzels in cheese sauce WITH mustard—oh boy! And not just cheese dip—bean dips and even ranch dips benefit from a bit of Dijon.
AS THE SUPPORTING STAR IN ANY CASSEROLE. Especially for heavier casserole dishes like macaroni and cheese or a gratin, Dijon mustard adds some extra heat and creaminess. I’ll close with All Recipes (www.allrecipes.com) version of homestyle mac ‘n cheese. It calls for the above raved-about Dijon mustard and is ultra creamy. A real crowd-pleaser!
7 ounces elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon style mustard
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley
Directions:
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“The main ingredients of the modern condiment are brown mustard seeds (Brassica juncea) and a mixture of white wine, vinegar, water, and salt designed to imitate the original verjuice.”
Because it’s tangy and packed with flavor, it can be used as an accompaniment to all meats in its usual form as a paste, or it can be mixed with other ingredients to make a sauce.
It’s good to look at this condiment outside of the role of sandwich spread. It can do so much more. It's perfect with eggs or potatoes (i.e. devilled eggs, egg salad, mashed potatoes, potato salad). And it provides the right finishing note for simple cheese dishes like mac and cheese, raclette, or a grilled cheese sandwich. (NOTE: Be sure to add it to hot dishes at the end, not the start, to retain the spiciness on the palette.)
Truly, Dijon mustard can be THE secret weapon that home cooks use to add extra zing to any dish. I like to mix it into my hummus recipe for a depth of flavor I can’t get any other way. But a favorite use at our house is to mix it with mayonnaise and plenty of crumbled cooked bacon; we then spread thick layers of this mixture on toast for our summer BLTs. WOW!
The folks at Epicurious (www.epicurious.com) are Dijon mustard fans as well. They have their own favorite ways of using it. For instance:
AS A SALAD DRESSING. After oil and vinegar, Dijon is the next in line for salad dressing essentials. Its thickness and composition help incorporate the oil and vinegar, and the extra bit of heat you get is great on bitter greens like escarole or friseé.
AS AN EASY BUT TASTY MARINADE. Just make a puree of garlic, herbs, wine, and some Dijon mustard. It’ll tenderize tougher cuts of meat like lamb leg or flank steak. You’ll like the unusual flavor it provides.
AS A UNIQUE GLAZE. Glazed carrots are pretty great on their own—a buttery, sweet version of a vegetable everyone likes. But add about a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the method and you’re really going off the rails!
AS A WAY TO KICK UP YOUR CHEESE DIP. Pretzels in mustard are good. Pretzels in cheese are even better. Pretzels in cheese sauce WITH mustard—oh boy! And not just cheese dip—bean dips and even ranch dips benefit from a bit of Dijon.
AS THE SUPPORTING STAR IN ANY CASSEROLE. Especially for heavier casserole dishes like macaroni and cheese or a gratin, Dijon mustard adds some extra heat and creaminess. I’ll close with All Recipes (www.allrecipes.com) version of homestyle mac ‘n cheese. It calls for the above raved-about Dijon mustard and is ultra creamy. A real crowd-pleaser!
All RECIPES Homestyle Mac 'N Cheese
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
7 ounces elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon style mustard
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh parsley
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. In a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour. Cook for about 1 minute, until smooth and bubbly; stirring occasionally. Mix in milk, cream cheese, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard. Continue cooking until sauce is thickened. Add cooked macaroni and Cheddar cheese.
4. Pour into 2-quart casserole dish. In small bowl mix together bread crumbs, butter and parsley; spread over macaroni and cheese.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add macaroni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3. In a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour. Cook for about 1 minute, until smooth and bubbly; stirring occasionally. Mix in milk, cream cheese, salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard. Continue cooking until sauce is thickened. Add cooked macaroni and Cheddar cheese.
4. Pour into 2-quart casserole dish. In small bowl mix together bread crumbs, butter and parsley; spread over macaroni and cheese.
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and heated through.
Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.
Alice Osborne
DVO Newsletter Contributor since 2006
Email the author! alice@dvo.com
Sources:
- www.realgourmetfood.com
- www.thefoodcharlatan.com
- www.veggiessavetheday.com
- www.epicurious.com
- www.allrecipes.com
