Mustard: what to pair it with? Here are great tips!

Mustard: what can it be eaten with? First of all, mustard is a product with a sweet and spicy flavor, made from fruit, sugar, and mustard essence, which gives the product its distinctive strong flavor. It could be described as a real explosion of flavors, ranging from the delicate aroma of fruit, depending on the type of mustard, to fading into the spicy flavor, a more pronounced note given by mustard. For these characteristics, mustard pairs very well with many dishes in the kitchen, or with a savory board of cheeses or cured meats.

Mustard is presented in the form of whole fruit or pieces of small, medium, or large sizes, depending on the recipe. There are various types of mustard, and there are some variations based on the province of origin: Mantova, Cremona, Vicenza, Parma, and other places. Again based on the recipe, mustard will be present in a more or less significant way, giving a more or less spicy flavor. However, each variant is characterized by a unique and unmistakable flavor, and by a pungent aroma, a characteristic scent that makes it truly irresistible!

Mustard: what can it be eaten with?

Mustard, what can it be eaten with? There are many ways to enjoy it! Mustard is a great food with a characteristic flavor, to be paired with mainly savory dishes: it is usually served to accompany boiled meats, cheese and cured meats boards. Once considered a predominantly winter food, to be consumed during the Christmas period; today, every moment is good to pair mustard with dishes, boards, and to create tasty recipes that whet the appetite! Let's see some!

Mustard for the tastiest pairings

Mustard is found in various places in our territory, and depending on the location and often also the producer, the recipe and ingredients change, leaving in the mustard the typical imprint of the flavors and culture of the belonging territory.

Mustard: what can it be eaten with? Let's start with tradition at the table! Mustard is usually served during breaks between courses or when paired with cheese and cured meats on a board. As a pairing with important dishes, the mixed fruit mustard reaches its best when paired with cotechino or zampone, or with the typical Salama da Sugo ferrarese.

Among the pairings with cheeses, the pear and walnut mustard goes well with firm cheeses like Provolone dolce DOP or Valpadana, the Monte Veronese, the Asiago, aged Pecorinos, Bagoss, Grana Padano, Parmigiano Reggiano, and Toma from Piedmont.

Do you want to try a truly special pairing? We recommend pumpkin bread with honey, cheeses, and mustard; today many bakeries produce pumpkin bread, which you can easily find. Just slice it and spread a teaspoon of honey on top. Serve the slices of bread prepared this way with sweet aged cheeses and the Mantovana mustard with apples and pumpkin. A real delight!

It doesn't end there, because mustard can also be enjoyed in combination with dessert: try the Mantovana mustard with quince paired with vanilla or fiordilatte ice cream: you will never forget it!

Mustard and traditional recipes

Mustard is a specialty and as such has always been used to create tasty and inviting recipes, for both first and second courses. Among the latter are roasts with stuffing, which are enriched with mustard, or veal, whose delicate flavor becomes pronounced when tasted with mustard. Among the first courses, Pumpkin Tortelli with traditionally Mantovana mustard stand out. Here’s how to prepare them!

Obtain pumpkin, amaretti cookies, the Mantovana mustard with its syrup, Parmigiano Reggiano, lemon zest, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. For the tortelli dough you will need flour, eggs, and extra virgin olive oil.

While the pumpkin cut into pieces cooks in the oven, mix the crushed amaretti with mustard until you get a homogeneous mixture. Pass the pumpkin through a potato masher, combine the mixture of mustard and amaretti with the Parmigiano Reggiano and the grated lemon zest, and mix well. Season everything with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. The breadcrumbs will only be needed if the obtained mixture is too wet: in that case, add a handful. Prepare the dough for the tortelli in the usual way for homemade pasta until the obtained ball is nice and firm. Let it rest for two hours. Form the tortelli by placing a scoop of filling in each of them. Close them and let them rest until they become drier and firmer. Cook them in boiling water and season with just butter and sage, so you can enhance the flavor of the filling. Bon appétit!

So far, we have talked about boiled meats and roasts to enjoy or prepare with mustard. Well, here’s a fish-based preparation: perch with mustard butter!

Preparing it is really simple. First, you will need a perch, one sliced onion, salt, whole pepper, vinegar, and mixed fruit mustard. Cook the perch with the onion in water for about 15 minutes until it becomes tender, and season with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Now prepare the mustard butter as follows: melt the butter over low heat, and incorporate a teaspoon of Cremona mustard. Add a tablespoon of the water in which you cooked the fish and mix until it thickens into a sauce. Cover the fish with the mustard butter, and you will taste a delight!

Mustard for desserts: it will surprise you!

Mustard: what can it be eaten with? Even with desserts! The surprises are not over yet: in fact, mustard can also be used to create truly special desserts! We have already mentioned the combination with ice cream; now we will present two truly special and typically winter recipes: strudel with mustard and a cake with greens, almonds, cinnamon, and mustard.

Let's prepare the strudel with mustard. For the recipe, you will need crushed amaretti and dry cookies, melted butter, kiwi and apple mustard, or quince mustard or apricot mustard (to your liking), apple compote, and puff pastry.

Making the strudel is very simple: roll out the puff pastry and brush it with the melted butter. Prepare the mixture of crushed cookies and amaretti, with the apple compote and mustard, and lay everything on the puff pastry. Roll it up tightly, sealing the edges. Brush the surface with some diluted apple compote with water to ensure that the crust becomes beautifully golden. Make some cuts with a knife to facilitate cooking and bake at 180 degrees for about 25 minutes. A delight!

Another very special dessert is the mustard, greens, almonds, and cinnamon cake. The sweet and sour flavor of this cake makes it suitable for a thousand occasions: a delicious end to a meal, a snack, an appetizer, an aperitif, or even enjoyed as a packed lunch during an outing.

You will need shortcrust pastry (two discs), flour, mixed greens, candied mixed fruit mustard, milk, sugar, amaretti, raisins, almonds, lemon, eggs, butter, and cinnamon. Boil the greens and create a mixture with crushed amaretti and almonds. Prepare the eggs beaten with sugar and put everything in a saucepan with milk and flour. Cook for five minutes, stirring continuously. When the cream is cooled, add the greens, the mixture of almonds and amaretti, raisins, lemon zest, and mustard. Roll out the shortcrust pastry in a buttered cake tin. You will need two discs, one for the base and one for the covering. Add the mixture and cover with the second disc, making sure to seal the edges well. Prick the surface and bake at 180 degrees for about half an hour or until the cake is beautifully golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with cinnamon. It will be an explosion of flavors: it will surprise you!

However you enjoy the mustard, it will always be a delightful culinary experience! Spaghetti & Mandolino recommends mustard in many variants, all worth trying with our recipes!

Antonella Iannò