Spicy Honey Mustard

I've made several mustards from Internet recipes all using the same basic technique of steeping mustard seeds in a combination of vinegar and spirits and blending to the desired consistency.  Each time, the resulting mustard has been harsh and out of balance, with no structure to support the heat.

This time, when mustard cravings set in, I ditched technology and resorted to the more Jeffersonian technique of digging through my library to find the perfect recipe.  In the course of my search, I learned quite a bit about mustard.  In The Joy of Cooking, I learned about the chemical reaction that activates mustard's heat, and about how to make mild mustard by avoiding that chemical reaction.  In The Tassajara Bread Book, I learned that it makes a fine addition to gingerbread, and in The Flavor Bible that some of its great affinities are cucumbers, curry leaves and honey.

As interesting as all this was, it didn't get me any closer to my goal- a sweet and spicy mustard, rich in body, to slather on toast or nibble with cured meat and cornichon.

I should have known that I would find the perfect recipe in my new pet book:  The Lewis and Clark Cookbook, by Leslie Mansfield.  This collection of historic recipes is full of little gems, and is a great read, containing food-related quotes from letters between Jefferson and the Lewis and Clark expedition. Her recipes are literal trips back in time, inviting us to taste the exciting flavors of a young America. 

Sweet Hot Mustard
from The Lewis and Clark Cookbook

1/2 c sugar (I used Honey)
2 eggs
2/3 cup ground mustard
1/2 cup malt vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)

In the top of a double boiler, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth.  Whisk in the mustard until smooth.  Add the vinegar in a thin stream, whisking until all is incorporated.  Place the double-boiler over simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture has thickened.  Serve the mustard at room temperature.  Store covered in the refrigerator.  Makes 1 cup.