Dijon mustard: the use of French sauce in cooking, recipes

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Prepared by: Yulia Reznik

08/11/2016 Cooking time: 4 hours 0 minutes

Mustard is an excellent addition to many vegetable, meat and fish dishes. And for those who love it, I want to show how to prepare Dijon mustard at home. It's very easy and fast.

What is Dijon mustard

Whole grain mustard addition to dishes has a pleasant aftertaste. Dijon mustard is an independent sauce and component of many French dishes, giving salads, main courses, and soups a sweet and sour flavor with light creamy notes.

History of the sauce

Many documents have survived to this day, reproducing the historical milestones of the march of Dijon mustard around the world.

The grainy sauce was first created by the cook of King Philip VI; at a reception of ambassadors in 1336, he added too many mustard seeds when marinating meat. The product was expensive, and there was nothing else to do but boil the marinade and serve it to the table as an exotic dish. The dish impressed Philip and his guests. But grainy mustard migrated beyond the palace perimeter much later.

In 1390, the rules for the production of French mustard were officially approved for the first time: only the best whole grains were selected for the sauce, fruit vinegar must be transparent and of high quality.

The French have been preparing Dijon mustard for several hundred years; during this time, a great many recipes for the sauce have appeared. They depended on the availability of ingredients, the taste preferences of cooks and the ongoing historical events of a particular period of time.

At first, mustard seed was grown and processed only in monasteries; in the 16th century, new varieties of the crop were sectioned. After the first concerns of vinegar producers were created, industrial mass production of mustard began. Each factory developed its own sauce recipe.

In the mid-18th century, chef Jean Neijon from the French province of Dijon replaced traditional vinegar with the juice of unripe grapes. The result is a paste with a soft and light taste. Without knowing it, Jean created a universal sauce based on grain mustard, which could be added to meat, fish, salads, and bread.

The French liked the new sauce so much that Dijon became a recognized center for its production, which soon began to be exported to other European countries.

In 1777, an enterprise was created in Dijon with a machine for preparing mustard - grains drenched in white wine were subjected to heat treatment. The plant received from the King of France the exclusive right to produce Dijon mustard.

In 1937, in France, by government decree, Dijon was assigned the title of “mustard capital”; the patent for the production of this sauce began to be sold to other countries.

The French are very proud of their national sauce; one of the culinary symbols of the country is Dijon mustard; people in Russia learned what kind of sauce this is relatively recently.

Characteristics

Thanks to its recipe, Dijon mustard is famous for its differences from ordinary mustard: firstly, because it is made from seeds, not powder. The second difference is heat treatment. When mixing the powder with water, bitterness usually appears. When the grains are boiled with vinegar, the characteristic bitterness disappears without a trace.

Dijon mustard always has a sweet taste and mustard aroma. The bulk of the grains are kept intact.

Over the many years of Dijon mustard's existence, many sauce recipes have been created. Alexandre Dumas, in his treatise on mustard, collected about 20 with different types of wines, juices, honey, and spices. Seeds of different varieties were also used.

What components does it consist of?

The main component of Dijon mustard is the whole grains of the cruciferous plant. All kinds of acids are used for swelling:

• apple cider vinegar 6%;
• white grape wine (Sauvignon, Chablis, Burgundy Blanc);
• juice of unripe grapes - verjus;
• a mixture of grape and apple juices (sour apple varieties rich in tannins are used);
• a mixture of wine, vinegar, juice.

Additionally, cooks add all kinds of spices and herbs to the sauce:

• caraway;
• cardamom;
• pepper (black, white, red, green, allspice);
• savory;
• tarragon;
• lavender.

Types of Dijon mustard

In the classic recipe, dark brown and golden grains are mixed in equal proportions.

The delicate mustard from Dijon, known as Douce, contains more brown seeds and contains honey instead of sugar to soften the bitterness. The hot sauce, called “Forte,” contains pepper, savory, and other spices.

Dijon sauce varies in color. Three varieties of mustard are popular:

• white Brassica alba Boiss has yellow seeds of different shades with mild pungency, a sweetish taste, used for “Douce”;
• light brown Brassica juncea Czern – medium-spicy grains with a spicy flavor;
• the dark variety of Brassica nigra Koch seeds has the brightest taste, pleasant pungency, and is used for Dijon hot mustard.

Chemical composition and nutritional value

The spice has a multi-element chemical composition; Dijon sauce is valued for its high content:

• complex carbohydrates;
• minerals (sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron);
• saturated fatty acids;
• essential oils;
• amino acids;
• vitamins: thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), nicotinic acid (B3), choline (B4), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B9), ascorbic acid (C), tocopherol (E), phylloquinone (K).

100 g of classic Dijon mustard contains 143 kcal, it contains 12.7% fat, 9.9% protein, and 5.3% carbohydrates. The remainder consists of plant fibers.

How is it different from regular and French?

Dijon and French mustard are two completely different spicy sauces. The first looks grainy, the second - homogeneous, reminiscent of classic Russian mustard in composition.

The production technology differs significantly. The oil is first extracted from the grains used in the pastes. In Dijon sauce, the oil content is much higher; the grains swell not in a weak vinegar solution, but in wine or juice.

Dijon is often called French; in fact, this is incorrect. For French mustard, monastery recipes dating back to the 12th century are used. In terms of spiciness, this paste is significantly inferior to its Russian counterpart.

Adviсe

Be careful with overusing Dijon mustard. Despite its beneficial properties, it is a spicy seasoning that can cause heartburn or gastritis.

To prevent the sauce from losing its flavor or drying out, cover the jar with an airtight lid. Also, do not scoop the mustard with a wet spoon, otherwise the dressing will spoil.

If you can't find black mustard seeds, use white mustard seeds or ready-made mustard powder. What else can you substitute for Dijon mustard?

• regular mustard sauce with grated horseradish root, sugar and white wine;
• chili pepper, curry and ginger.

For more information about Dijon mustard, watch the video:

Benefits and harms

The great Avicenna used mustard seed for medicinal purposes. The components of the spicy sauce have a complex effect:

• vitamins normalize blood composition, have a general strengthening effect, enhance metabolism and cellular metabolism;
• essential oils and bitters improve cerebral circulation, memory, and prevent the development of senile dementia;
• amino acids stimulate the production of globulins, strengthen the immune system;
• macro- and microelements replenish the diet and normalize the secretion of internal organs.

The seeds contain antioxidants that eliminate waste and toxins. Essential oils have a tonic effect.

Restrictions on the use of Dijon mustard:

• bitterness irritates the gastric mucosa; with gastritis, the pain may intensify;
• due to increased secretion of bile with cholelithiasis, complications are possible;
• mustard increases the heart rate; in case of tachycardia, arrhythmia, it is fraught to abuse the sauce.

Like any spice, cruciferous culture can cause allergic reactions and manifest as individual intolerance.

Recipe 8: how to cook mustard beans with sugar

• Mustard powder – 50 grams
• Mustard seed – 50 grams
• Vegetable oil - 3 tbsp. spoons
• Fruit or wine vinegar - 4 tbsp. spoons
• Sugar - 2 tbsp. spoons
• Salt - To taste
• Ground pepper - to taste

Dissolve mustard powder in hot water. Pour water in a thin stream. Mix well until a thick plastic mass forms.

Then use a spoon to compact the mass and carefully pour boiling water along the wall 1 cm above the surface of the mustard mass. When the mixture has cooled, stir.

Add mustard seeds, oil, spices and vinegar. Stir and transfer to a jar, preferably a glass one. Close the lid and leave for 8 hours at room temperature to ripen.

Use in cooking

The sauce is used in the cuisines of many European countries, variations in use are due to national preferences.

Dijon paste is added to dishes as an independent sauce and used to prepare other sauces, marinades, and preservative mixtures.

Sweet and sour mustard is often used to season vegetable salads, seafood, hot and cold meat snacks, jellied fish, and delicacies. It harmonizes perfectly with most first and second courses; even a classic sandwich or banal fast food can be transformed beyond recognition.

What dishes does it go with?

Dijon spice is served with beef, pork, game and poultry dishes. The sauce is combined with stews, sautés, grilled dishes, and complements the taste of the roast.

Dijon seasoning is added to prepared dishes and during cooking. Mustard can improve the taste of Olivier salad, vinaigrette, crab salad, omelet, vegetable and meat soups, okroshka.

What to replace

It is difficult to find a worthy replacement for the original Dijon mustard. The characteristic sweetish-sour taste is obtained by a mixture of sugar and vinegar; the sharpness and bitterness is compensated by ground horseradish or wasabi.

How to make Dijon mustard at home

Having several types of mustard seeds (the sauce should contain light and dark seeds), you can prepare Dijon mustard yourself. There are several cooking recipes. The grain is pre-soaked in water or immediately poured with juice or wine.

To make savory sauce at home:

• mix 50 g of light and dark seeds;
• washed, dried on a paper towel;
• pour a mixture of 150 ml of white wine (Sauvignon, Chablis, Burgundy Blanc are ideal), 30 ml of balsamic vinegar (2 tbsp.), a similar amount of water and 4 tbsp. l. olive or rapeseed oil;
• keep in the refrigerator until swelling (2–3 hours);
• bring the mixture to a boil, simmer for 3 minutes;
• add 2 tbsp. l. honey, 1 tsp. sea ​​salt;
• Lightly knead the grains with a pestle or immersion mixer until the desired consistency is obtained.

For spiciness, it is recommended to add 0.5 tsp. chopped pepper mixture. If desired, you can give the sauce the usual mustard look - knead with a pestle to a creamy consistency. The finished mixture is laid out in sterilized jars and put in the refrigerator. The sauce can be stored for no more than a week.

Another interesting seasoning option

The darker the mustard seeds, the spicier they are. To prepare a more delicate culinary delight, take light grains. The dressing needs to sit for flavor. If it sits for at least a day, it will make a wonderful addition to your favorite dishes.

Description of components:

• 1/2 small spoons each of turmeric, brown sugar, honey, vinegar;
• 0.5 cups of clean water;
• 20 g mustard seeds;
• star anise;
• A pinch of cinnamon.

Preparation:

1. Soak the mustard seeds in water for 2 hours, remembering to stir constantly. They should swell and become soft;
2. At this time, we prepare the aromatic base ourselves. Mix turmeric, sugar, vinegar, preferably liquid honey and a large spoon of water. Grind everything thoroughly and wait until the honey and sugar dissolve (about an hour);
3. Grind the anise to powder in a mortar. It, together with cinnamon, will give the culinary masterpiece a spicy aroma;
4. Mix all the ingredients. If there is excess water left in the bowl with mustard seeds, pour it out. Let’s add the prepared base and delicious spices;
5. Stir and let the product sit for at least two hours to reveal all its amazing aroma.

Interesting Facts

1. Dijon in Russia is produced with the addition of the Sarepta variety of spice, grown in the Volga region and distinguished by its particular spiciness.
2. Alexandre Dumas was an admirer of the sauce; he loved to add mustard to soups, main courses, and cold veal.
3. The first mentions of spices are found in the Bible and Indian treatises.
4. The seeds were found in burials dating back to the 30th century BC.
5. In Germany at the beginning of the 18th century, von Zinzendorf founded the Order of the Mustard Seed, a religious movement within Protestantism.
6. India remains the largest supplier of seeds.
7. France exports only mild types of sauce; the spicy version of the “verjus” variety is considered a delicacy in the producing country.