China Crumpet

I have been up to my ears in cooking over the past few days, getting ready for a Swedish Christmas spread is no easy feat when you have to do everything the old school way. Little did I know though that making mustard from scratch was the easiest thing I have ever done! And it tastes amazing.

So there are 2 ways to do it. The first uses whole mustard seeds and the second uses mustard powder. They are both delicious and you can serve them together so that your guests get a little texture diversity!

This baby is just waiting to be spread on a ham sandwich!

For a whole seed grainy version (from Skane!) you will need:

• 1 1/2 dl yellow mustard seeds
• 1/2 dl black mustard seeds
• 2 dl boiling water
• 1 1/2 tbs honey
• Vinegar to taste (2-3 tbs)
• 3-4 tbs oil

Put the seeds in boiling water and leave them for a while (up to a day for best results) to soften them up and plump them a bit. Put the seeds and the water in a food processor with the blade attachment and run it full speed for a minute or so until the yellow seeds have become creamy and the mixture looks mustard-like in consistency. You will have whole black seeds in the mixture which makes the texture amazingly grainy and delicious. Add vinegar honey and oil gradually, tasting as you go. I like my mustard not so sweet and pretty firm but if you like it runnier and sweeter just add water and honey to taste. When you are done, put your mustard in a lovely old fashioned jar with a lid and let it stand in the fridge for a day or two to mature.

By the way, in the olden days when they didn’t have food processors, they used a bowl and a cannon ball and rolled the ball over the seeds to crush them, adding the rest of the ingredients drip by drip. If anyone gives this method a go, please let me know how it worked out!

When making mustard from powder you will need:

• 3/4 dl mustard powder (like Coleman’s, see note)
• 2-3 tbs oil
• 3 tbs white wine vinegar
• 2-3 tbs honey
• 3 tbs brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• some tepid water
• 2-3 tbs brandy or 1-2 tbs black currant jelly

Mix all the ingredients except the water and the jelly. Add the water gradually until you have a texture you are happy with. Let the mustard stand for a few minutes and check the texture again. If it is too dry add a drop or two more of water. Add the brandy or jelly to get a fuller taste. Jar the mustard and let it stand for a day or two to mature.

Note: there are 2 kinds, a fine, very yellow kind which is made entirely from yellow seeds and a coarser darker kind which is made from both kinds of seeds, they will both do. You will get a yellow, very smooth mustard with the first kind and a coarser mustard with the second kind.

Happy mustard making! Let me know how you get on.