Homemade maple mustard

When I think back to being a child and peeking into my grandma’s fridge, I remember there being so few packaged foods. It was always filled to the brim, and everything in it was made by her. Some of her best-kept secrets were what she referred to as her ‘dressings,’  small tubs of homemade condiments that made her food taste sublime.

Today, despite my efforts at keeping things as homemade as possible, the door of my fridge is always loaded with bottles of premade condiments. Irritated by this, I felt the urge to make a batch of maple mustard —  a recipe I have neglected lately because my kids don’t seem to appreciate it (yet). As soon as I made it, I felt it necessary to share it with you. Homemade mustard is sharper than store-bought mustard, with a delightful tang and a mild burn that you feel from the tip of your tongue, down to the cockles of your heart.

This recipe is quick to pull together and will last in your fridge for about a month. Enjoy!

Homemade Maple Mustard

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dry mustard powder
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

Instructions

• COMBINE mustard powder with vinegar in a small bowl. Let sit for at least 2 hours or overnight.
• BRING a small pot of water to a simmer. Scrape the mustard powder mixture into a large heatproof bowl. Whisk in egg yolks and maple syrup. Place the bowl over the pot of simmering water (creating a double boiler) and cook, stirring constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes.
•  SCRAPE into a small container and let cool fully. Refrigerate.

My absolute favourite way to enjoy this mustard requires no recipe, but is assembled like this: Slice a good milk- or egg-bun in half and spread maple mustard on either side. Starting with the bun bottom, stack a slice of aged cheddar, one piece of grilled peameal bacon, one perfectly fried over-medium egg, one good slice of tomato and some iceberg lettuce. Top with remaining bun. Yum and yum!