Recipe: Coarse Grain Mustard

Recipe

Coarse Grain Mustard

Makes about 1 to 1-1/2 pints

This is an excellent mustard, easy to make and full of good flavor. I find it rivals all but the very best commercial coarse grain mustards, and I particularly enjoy the spicy variation.

1 cup dark beer, chilled
1/2 cup yellow mustard seed
1-1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 small yellow onion, chopped (use a sweet onion, if available)
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, chopped
2 ounces mustard flour
1/8 cup very cold water
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon allspice, ground

Pour the dark beer over the mustard seed and let it sit at least four hours or overnight. Place the vinegar, onion, garlic, and shallot in a heavy saucepan and simmer slowly until mixture is reduced by 2/3. Strain the liquid and chill it. Make a paste of the mustard flour and water and let it sit for 20 minutes. Stir in the vinegar reduction, salt, sugar, and allspice and add this mixture to the wet mustard seeds. Place the mustard in the container of a food processor and pulse until the mustard seeds are partially ground and the mixture is well blended. Transfer the mustard to the saucepan and simmer over very slow heat until it thickens, 10-15 minutes. Cool the mixture, place in a glass jar, and age on a cool, dark shelf for two or three weeks before using.

Variation: Spicy Coarse Grain Mustard

Using the above recipe, add 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1/4 teaspoon each of ground cinnamon and ground clove; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger; 2 tablespoons very finely minced candied ginger.