Tag: mustard

Mustard, a summer pantry essential!

With the warmer days around the corner, the menu is also changing.  Mustard can be your ally here. I declare mustard a summer pantry esential! Let me give you a couple examples.

Mustard tomato tart

This tart is in essence, a shortcrust pastry, some mustard, cut tomatoes.  Depending on what you may have at hand in the kitchen or the garden, you can obtain various declinaison of it.  On its own, it is quite light. So, a side salad is required.

This recipe jumps back to mind from time to time, I am always pleased with the result!

If you are in a hurry, feel free to use ready-made pastry, puff pastry works well with it to.  Otherwise, make a shortcrust pastry, let it rest for half an hour at least, and you are good to go.

For the mustard I use the plain dijon mustard. Roll your pastry, spread the mustard on the base, place sliced tomatoes over.  The one I made recently has some grana padano cheese, enoki mushrooms, thyme and rosemary, salt, pepper, olive oil. That simple!

mustard tomato tart

 

 

 Mustard Chicken casserole

Another recipe highlighting mustard as a pantry essential is the mustard chicken casserole.

You may think a casserole is for the colder months.  This one works all year round really.  It can be done for a large number of people or just a small number.   It is simple to make. Serve with couscous semolina in summer or a little potatoe mash and green salad. Find the recipe HERE.

chicken mustard

Mustard Chicken Casserole

A mustard chicken casserole is an all year round dish.  Serve it with a side salad and some couscous semolina or mashed potatoes, and this is done!

For this mustard chicken casserole you can use a whole chicken (cut in pieces), chicken Maryland or even chicken drumsticks.  In this recipe I used drumsticks (less preparation).

As with all casseroles, what is important is the balance of flavours.  If you choose not to follow a recipe (like I often do), you need a vision of what dish you want to achieve so to select the right spices and garnish.  Don’t worry, here you only have to follow the recipe.

Level of cooking – easy

Time including preparation and cooking – 1 hour

Ingredients – for 7, adapt to your need:
  • 14 chicken drumsticks (two  drumsticks per person)
  • 1 onion peeled and sliced
  • 3 generous tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
  • 2 teaspoon mild paprika
  • Salt, pepper
  • Rosemary, thyme (use what you have available), about 1 tablespoon worth
  • a handful olives green or black
  • 50 g butter
  • 1 glass white wine, 1 to 2 glasses of water
  • 200 g fresh small button mushrooms
  • thickened cream
Method
  1. Heat up 1/4 of the butter in a thick bottom pan, add the sliced onions and reduce the heat to medium.  You want to reduce your onion and “melt” them but not burn them. Stir from time to time. It should take about 5 minutes.  When  the onions are soft and translucent (maybe a little brown, this is ok), transfer to a large bowl.
  2. On high heat, add half of the remaining butter, once it is melted add half of the meat and brown (or grill) one side, then when grilled turned around the pieces to brown the other side.  When done, remove from the frypan and reserve with the onions.  Repeat with the rest of the meat.
  3. In the large bowl, add the mustard, salt and pepper to taste, the fresh herbs and the olives, toss using your hands (or a large spoon).

 

chicken mustard casserole

 

4. Place in a thick base frypan with a lid or casserole dish, add the wine and water and cook for 40 minutes or so in a small simmer.  The chicken must be cooked. When the chicken is about cooked, add the mushroom.  Before serving, add the cream, about 200 mL (to your taste).

5. Serve with mashed potatoes or couscous semolina, a side salad or steamed greens.

chicken mustard
Leftover next day!
chicken mustard
This is a photo from a friend wh had dinner that night with us and reproduced it the next day. I did not take any photo of the whole dish I made.