Recipes with Julie Van Rosendaal: Mustard is easy to make at home

When we think of significant Canadian crops, mustard doesn't always come to mind, but we grow much of the world's mustard here. We're one of the world's main producers, and 80 per cent of the seeds used to make fancy Dijon mustards come from Canada.

Prepared mustard is made with the whole, crushed or ground seeds of the mustard plant, blended with vinegar and other liquids, like white wine or beer, along with garlic, herbs and other additions.

Though most of us buy it by the jar or squeeze bottle, it's surprisingly easy to make at home, and there are more things to do with it than spread it on your sandwich. 

All you need to do to make your own jar of mustard is soak some seeds and whiz them in a food processor, but there are a few ways to control its pungency. Choose yellow mustard seeds for a milder mustard. Brown and black mustard seeds are more potent, though many use a combination of yellow and brown seed.

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The liquid you use also makes a difference to the enzymic reaction that occurs when you break down the seeds. More acidic liquids, like vinegar, will slow it down, as will hot water. Less acidic liquids, like beer, will make for an initially potent mustard that will mellow out after a few days.

Adjust the ratio according to your taste and how hot/potent you like your mustard. Give it time to smooth out — at least a day — if you find it bitter or strong right after you make it. 

Homemade Mustard

It's really just a ratio you want to go for here. Use about as much liquid as you have mustard seed, or a bit more liquid. One-third of a cup doesn't need to be the starting point. Feel free to add flavourings like horseradish or fresh dill as you blend your mustard.  

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup mustard seed
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup white wine, beer, cider or water
• 1 garlic clove, peeled (optional)
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup or honey (optional)
• ½ tsp. turmeric (optional)
• ¼ tsp. salt 

Put the mustard seed in a bowl and cover with vinegar and wine/beer/water, and add a garlic clove, if you like. Cover (I put a plate on top of the bowl) and let sit on the counter for 24 hours. If it looks like the seeds have absorbed all the liquid, add another one-quarter to one-third cup.

Remove the garlic clove, if you used one, and blend the soaked seeds and their liquid in a food processor with the maple syrup or honey, turmeric and salt until it's as smooth or coarse as you like. Add a bit of water or other liquid if it's too thick. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate for at least a day, or preferably a few days, to let it mellow out before using.

Makes: 1¼ cups.

Dutch Mustard Soup

I've come across several versions of mustard soup — moesterdsoep in the Netherlands — and finally decided to make it.

It's similar to dill pickle soup in its brininess, but the added cream smooths it out, giving it a wonderful flavour.

It's traditionally made with bacon or ham, but sausage would be fantastic here, too.

This would also be delicious with a diced potato or two, added with the stock and simmered until tender, then finished with cream but not (or only partially) puréed. 

Ingredients:

• a few slices of chopped bacon or pancetta, ham or a sausage (optional)
• vegetable oil, for cooking
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large leek, chopped (white and pale green parts only)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tbsp. flour
• ¼-1/3 cup grainy mustard (or a couple big spoonfuls)
• 1 L chicken or vegetable stock
• ½ cup whipping cream (or coffee cream, or half and half)
• salt and pepper, to taste

Set a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook the bacon or sausage (squeezed out of its casing) if you're using it, adding a bit of oil if the pan seems dry.

Scoop the meat out of the pan once crisp, leaving the drippings. If you're using leftover ham, you can add it at the end and warm it through.

Add a bit of oil if needed, and sauté the onion and leek, sprinkling with salt, until soft and starting to turn golden. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, then sprinkle with flour and stir to coat. 

Add the mustard, stock and cream and bring to a simmer.

Cook for 10 minutes, or until the veggies are very tender and the soup has thickened.

Purée it right in the pot, using a hand-held immersion blender (or carefully transfer to a blender and pulse until smooth). Add diced ham, if you're using it, or return the cooked sausage to the pot. If you cooked bacon or pancetta, you can sprinkle it overtop to keep it crisp.

Serves: 4. 

Mustard Scalloped Potatoes

I love the New York Times version of potatoes gratin; this is a riff on that version, with the addition of plenty of grainy or Dijon mustard. I added spoonfuls between the layers, and let it melt into the creamy sauce as the potatoes cooked. Sprinkle between the layers with fresh dill, too, if you have it.

Ingredients:

• 3 lb. thin-skinned yellow or red or russet potatoes
• butter, for your baking dish
• salt and pepper, to taste
• ¼-½ cup grainy or Dijon mustard (to your taste, but use more than you think)
• 2-3 cups whipping cream or 18% coffee cream
• 1/3 cup grated gruyere or Parmesan

Preheat your oven to 400 F.

Thinly slice the potatoes using a knife or mandoline, and layer them in the bottom of a buttered skillet or baking dish that can go from stovetop to oven.

Season with salt and pepper between layers, and occasionally spread a spoonful of mustard over the layer of potatoes.

Pour cream overtop; it should come about three-quarters of the way up the potatoes.

Set over medium heat on the stovetop and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 10 minutes.

The potatoes will start to break down and the cream will bubble up around them and start to reduce and thicken.

Transfer to the oven for about 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 325 F and cook for 10 minutes more, sprinkling with cheese for the last few minutes, until the potatoes are tender, bubbly and golden.

Serves: 6.

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