Grainy Mustard

You’ll be amazed at how easy, cheap, and good homemade mustard is. Plus, you can customize the flavor many ways with minor adjustments; see the list that follows. Make sure, though, to mix yellow mustard seeds with brown or black, or the results will be too harsh.

To make a faster—though undeniably sharper and less subtle—mustard, use a spice grinder or coffee mill to grind the mustard seeds into a coarse powder, then slowly stir in the liquids until you get the consistency you want (you might have to add a little more). Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately or keep as you would any mustard.

MAKES: 11/2 cups

TIME: 15 minutes, plus a day or two to soak the seeds

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds (about 11/2 ounces)
• 1/4 cup brown or black mustard seeds (about 11/2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup red wine or water
• 1/2 cup sherry vinegar or malt vinegar (or any vinegar with at least 5 percent acidity; see page 197)
• Pinch salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid or other sealed glass or ceramic container. (Don’t use metal; it will corrode.) Shake or stir, then set aside to soak for a day or two.
2. Put the mixture in a blender and purée for several minutes to grind, adding a little extra water as needed to keep the machine running. Stop and scrape the sides down once or twice and repeat. You’ll never get the mustard as smooth as Dijon, but you can control the coarseness by how long you blend. Taste and add more salt if you like.
3. Return the mustard to the container and cover tightly. Store in a cool, dark place (or refrigerate) for up to several months. The mustard will be quite sharp at first, but it will thicken and mellow with time.

16 WAYSTO FLAVOR GRAINY MUSTARD:

Start with 1/2 cup mustard, then stir in the following ingredients. Note that using fresh herbs, fruit, or vegetables will reduce the mustard’s storage time to a week.

• Mustard Relish: Add 1/2 cup chopped sweet pickle and 1/4 cup each chopped red onion and red bell pepper.
• Tarragon Mustard: Add 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon leaves.
• Rosemary Mustard: Add 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves.
• Tomato Mustard: Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste.
• Honey Mustard: Add 2 tablespoons honey.
• Horseradish Mustard: Add 1 teaspoon freshly grated or prepared horseradish (see page 306), or more to taste.
• Molasses Mustard: Add 1 tablespoon molasses.
• Balsamic Mustard: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, to taste.
• Creole Mustard: Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste.
• Roasted Garlic Mustard: Add 2 to 3 cloves Roasted Garlic (page 303), mashed with a fork.
• Chile Mustard: Add 1 teaspoon minced fresh chile (like jalapeño or Thai), or to taste, or hot red pepper flakes or cayenne to taste.
• Peach Mustard: Add 1/4 cup fresh peach purée (1 medium peach, peeled, pitted, sliced, and puréed or mashed with a fork).
• Mango Mustard: Add 1/4 cup fresh mango purée (1/2 medium mango, peeled, pitted, cubed, and puréed or mashed with a fork).
• Nori Soy Mustard: Add 1 sheet toasted and crumbled nori (see page 350), plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
• Port Wine Mustard: Instead of the red wine or water, use 1/2 cup ruby or tawny port.
• Brewhouse Mustard: Instead of the red wine or water, use 1/2 cup strong-flavored beer, like stout, porter, bock, or dark or amber ale.