October, aka Burgundy Month, may be over, but it has left a lasting impression on my kitchen in the form of Large Quantities of Mustard. Mustard, believe it or not, does expire, so now I’m faced with the enviable task of figuring out what to do with all of it. Vinaigrette is easy – the more mustard you add to it, the easier it is to emulsify! – but no one wants to eat salad every night, no matter how beautiful and flavorful the dressing.
Shortly after our return from Dijon, I had a cauliflower from the CSA panier idling in the fridge. Cauliflower in cheese sauce is a classic, but it occurred to me to swap out the cheese for a healthy dose of fresh mustard. I whipped up a quick béchamel sauce (remember last week’s velouté? Same thing, only with milk instead of stock), using an 8:1 ratio of milk to roux – going for saucy, not soupy. Meanwhile, I was roasting bite-size chunks of cauliflower in the oven. When the sauce was ready, I whisked in a few big spoonfuls of mustard, then tossed the sauce with the cauliflower and popped it back in the oven for a few minutes to get a delicious tan.
And it was fantastic. We ate it as a main course, but it would make a great side dish, too.
Still looking for ways to incorporate mustard into my menus, I thought I’d check the selection of exotic (well, to the people who stock the vegetables at Monoprix, anyway) greens at my local Asian market (ok, one of the many). Mustard greens sounded like they might end up a little one-dimensional, but broccoli greens seemed right on. (Not entirely sure what these are called in English. In French, they’re labeled “feuilles de brocoli,” and they look a bit like broccoli rabe or rapini, but don’t taste bitter the way those do.) Using this recipe sketch as a jumping off point – which I have done many times, all recipes should be written this way – I softened some shallots in a pan before adding sliced broccoli greens until they wilted. A splash of white wine vinegar and a couple of large dollops of mustard went in next, and when the greens were coated to my liking, I served them up next to loaded cheeseburgers – dark leafy greens make any meal healthy, right?
I never did much actual cooking with mustard before, but you can believe I’m going to keep at it!
Originally published on Croque-Camille.
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“Recipe sketch” — I like that! Thanks, Camille. I too love using mustard in recipes beyond vinaigrette and am just learning how versatile it is. The easiest weeknight supper ever? A fat smear of really good mustard mixed with a little lemon juice and honey on top of a salmon filet, decorated with a rosemary sprig and wrapped in parchment before roasting.
Mustard doesn’t expire? Hm. The jar I bought at Maille in Dijon a few years ago has an expiration date. It is listed as April 2004. Should I chance it? 🙂
The broccoli greens look like what we call sprouting broccoli in England, I really like the way you’ve cooked them – Sounds tasty!
Great ways to use mustard! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Yum, both these recipes sound delicious! And I’m with you on the dark leafy greens — I think they actually erase saturated fat from a meal.
Trisha – Sounds delicious, and oh-so-easy. Thank YOU.
RS – I think the expiration date on mustard has more to do with flavor loss than health issues… although 5 1/2 years out of date is probably too long.
Sam – Sprouting broccoli sounds about right – Thanks!
Karine – My pleasure.
Ann – And ice cream prevents wrinkles, right? 😉
love mustard! one of the best ingredients ever. Your recipes look great ~
Sara – Thank you!
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