Chef Allyson Gofton talks with Kerre McIvor about mustard as a lost ingredient.

LISTEN TO ALLYSON GOFTON TALK WITH KERRE MCIVOR ABOVE

Check out Lalyson Gofton's recipe for Beef with mustard miso here.

 

 

From warm and mellow to pungent to piquant, mustard is one of our oldest spices – outdating peppercorns  - its name a reference to Anglo-Saxon times, must unfermented grape juice and arden, meaning hot or fiery. 

Once the three seeds brown, black and white grew in different areas of the world (climates) and sp it became an essential spice in many different cuisines over and above the British beef with mustard. Gravlax and pickling herrings in Northern Europe, flavouring sausage sin Germany and curries in India. 

Here’s a break down from Dijon to French or Meaux of Mild. Different brands of course will have different styles so this is a run down. 

- Hot English mustard is very hot from finely ground mustard seed, turmeric and sugar blended with water.

- French Mustards

- Meaux or mixed grain mustard has a medium heat and is often blended with spices and vinegar

- Dijon is smooth and pungent from a blend of spices and seeds being blended with wine or verjuice, the latter giving the mustard less heat.

- French or Bordeaux is darker in colour from the use of brown or black seeds and blended with grape must or unfermented wine.

- German mustards tend to be milder, sweeter, with a sour and salty tang.

- American mustards are very milks and very sweet  - more like a sauce 

- Beer mustards – made with beer are gutsy and great with a steak

- Tarragon mustard is heavily infused with the herb and best with chicken, fish and beef

- Honey mustards are sweeter and pair well with bacon, ham and smoked foods

- Garlic mustard – pungent, precocious and best with red meats. 

 

Cooking with Mustard

While mustard has unique qualities for adding flavour, heat and acting as an emulsifier, here’s a few tip to avoid bringing out mustard’s bitterness.

• Make powdered mustard up using cold water only.  Hot or warm causes the bitterness to become pronounced.
• Once powdered is made up, allow to rest for 10 minute so ensure the flavours develop.
• Mustard’s flavour will dissipate with heat so add at the end of cooking fro a fresh mustard flavour.
• Don’t allow mustard to become char-grilled it will cause bitterness.

 

Why Hot?

Mustards flavour and heat will only appear once the seeds have been ground. So whole seed mustards that contain no ground mustard will have vinegar taste and little else.

Use water for best flavour to make mustard. Using an acidic ingredient such as verjuice or vinegar or wine pauses the chemical reaction and the mustard will have less heat than if made with cold water.