Mustard is one of those fridge-door features that essentially becomes a part of the landscape: It almost feels like the jar will never, ever run out, like there might be some secret mustard spring very gradually replenishing it.
When you finally have just a modest slick of it left on the walls of the jar (or if you're just trying to hit the bottom), don't let it go to waste. Even a little bit of mustard provides round, spicy punchiness to whatever it's added to. Here are a few ideas for how to use it:
- Make a vinaigrette directly in the mustard jar: Drizzle in oil, salt and pepper, a bit of honey, and shake like the Dickens—then pour over your salad.
- Mash mustard into softened butter, refrigerate until firm, and then use as a compound butter. It would be killer on steak. Or on an egg sandwich, or smoked salmon toasts.
- Toss just-roasted vegetables with mustard (thinned with a little olive oil) so that they absorb it while they cool. Brussels sprouts and broccoli especially love this treatment.
- Combine shredded cheese with mayonnaise and mustard for a melty spread for cheese toasts and grilled cheese. (Or biscuit sandwiches.)
- Make a mustardy sauce for mussels! This recipe sounds spiffy, and only takes about 20 minutes.
- Add it to meat marinades.
- Or spread mustard onto slices of tofu before pan-frying. (This is especially good with whole-grain mustard.)
- Fold it into leftover cooked potatoes and cabbage and pan-fry it for a zipper version of bubble and squeak.
- It's just as good in potato salad.
- Add honey and you've got a quick honey mustard for dipping (or glazing chicken wings).
This article was written by Caroline Lange from Food52 and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.
