Menagier de Paris – Mustard

So for this last event (Rowany Festival 2017), I entered a contest about making food from scratch. While one of the things I attempted to make (Lamb pate from Menagier de Paris) was an out and out failure, (“It’s not awful, just not edible”) my attempt to make Mustard from the same source turned out rather well.

I used Janet Hinson’s translation (Found here) Menagier de Paris -English Translation

MUSTARD… Item, and if you wish to make it properly and at leisure, put the mustard-seed to soak overnight in good vinegar, then have it ground fine in a mill, and then little by little moisten it with vinegar: and if you have some spices left over from making jelly, broth, hypocras or sauces, they may be ground up with it, and then leave it until it is ready.

My Redaction

To make proper mustard at leisure

25 grams of yellow mustard seed
1/3 cup of good white vinegar ( I used Cornwalls)
1/2 tsp of freshly ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp of freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp of freshly ground dried ginger
1/2 tsp freshly ground cloves
pinch of black pepper (ground)

Pour the mustard seeds into a bowl. Cover with the vinegar and stir gently. Let sit overnight.

Then, (reserving the vinegar for later use) strain the mustard seeds. Grind them in a motor and pestle until they have a paste like consistency. (It didn’t make enough for me to put it in a food processor for the grind fine in a mill part, and I don’t have a stick blender.) Slowly add the vinegar back and add the spices. Stir and refrigerate.

This made a very sharp, very “punchy” mustard, but it wasn’t actually hot.


Featured Image is of the mustard, plus pickled eggs (also made by me) and pickled vegetables “Composte” made by Louise redacted from Forme of Curye.

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