Friday, April 22, 2011

French Fridays with Dorie: Don't be a Mustard Stick in the Mud!


I'm delighted when one of our weekly French Fridays with Dorie recipes provides just what I need for a gathering that week. I was a little ahead of schedule for this one, and made these Mustard Bâtons last week for Pammy's birthday cocktail party at the Pink Palace (her darling, pink, beach cottage here on the island).


Dorie confessed she was embarrassed to admit she resisted this recipe for years, thinking three simple ingredients couldn't possibly make something great tasting, and good looking too. I wasn't very enthusiastic about these Mustard Sticks either, who attempt to sound fancier by calling themselves Mustard Bâtons.

"Boy, those French. They have a different word for everything."
-Steve Martin

Along with Dorie, I've been convinced and converted.  However, if you're determined to be a mustard stick in the mud, the basic version, which is really quite nice, with only Dijon mustard, and an optional sprinkling of poppy seeds, can be transformed with different fillings and/or toppings to make it appear you've slaved in the kitchen longer and dirtied a few more dishes. If that's the case, Dorie suggests alternative fillings such as olive tapenade, roasted peppers, pesto, or sun-dried tomatoes.  

Unbaked bâtons can be kept in the freezer for up to two months, and then brushed with egg wash, sprinkled with poppy seeds, and baked while still frozen. It's nice to have a few hors de'oeuvres like this in the freezer when friends stop by and you want a little nibblet to go with a glass of wine.

The recipe calls for a package (2 sheets) of thawed, frozen puff pastry. Working with one sheet at a time, roll out the pastry to a rectangle about 12 x 16 inches, and brush 1/4 cup of Dijon mustard over the lower half of the dough, with the shorter side closest to you.




Fold the top portion over the bottom, covering the mustard, cut strips about 3/4 inch thick (a pizza cutter works well), and transfer to a lined baking sheet.


Glaze the strips with a light egg wash, sprinkle with poppy seeds, and bake for about 15 minutes at 400 F, rotating the baking sheets half way through.


These are best served warm, and are especially tasty with white wine or kir, the official aperitif of Dijon, which is made with a measure of crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) topped with white wine. You can bet I'll be stopping by the liquor store on my way home for crème de cassis and a bottle of wine, so I can see if just two ingredients can be combined to make a great tasting and good looking cocktail.

The complete recipe for Mustard Batons is published on Dorie's blog, In the Kitchen and on the Road with Dorie, here. The New York Times also published it here.


Moutarde de Dijon (Mustard Shop in Dijon)

French Fridays with Dorie is an online cooking group dedicated to Dorie Greenspan‘s newest book, Around My French Table: More Than 300 Recipes from My Home to Yours. As members of the group, we have purchased the cookbook and cook along as much as we can. There is a new recipe each week, and we post about that recipe on Friday. We are asked to refrain from posting the actual recipes on our blog. The book is filled with stunning photography, and personal stories about each recipe, which makes it that much more intriguing.


19 comments:

Mardi Michels said...

Beautiful pictures! I will definitely be making these again. And your picture has me excited to visit Dijon this summer...

Cher Rockwell said...

Lovely pictures.
"Batons" sounds so much more enticing than "breadstick"... Ah, those French.

Anonymous said...

I'll be honest. I was a total stick in the mud with this one! =D I went with pesto instead!

Steph said...

Your photos are absolutely breathtaking! I love the brush marked mustard photo. The mustard I used for mine (apricot & curry) was purchased at the store in your photo in Dijon last summer...how fun!

Jessica of My Baking Heart said...

Everything's beautiful... especially those mustard shots! :) Just gorgeous!

Ms. Hobby said...

It looks like yours turned out well. I was just saying on Steph's blog that all these posts are making me want to visit Dijon sometime.

Unknown said...

Love the pictures of your baton making operation, especially the ones of mustard, I love mustard!
The French have some pretty cool words when you think about it;-)

amanda @ fake ginger said...

Your pictures are beautiful!

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

Gorgeous batons!!! Each is the perfect size and oh, so flaky!!

Jenn said...

Your photos are gorgeous!

Charles said...

Nice step-by-step. And yes, "Baton Rouge" makes for a more interesting state capital than "Red Stick."

Anonymous said...

An even better version of the kir is a Kir Royale, which is champagne and creme de cassis. It's my favourite drink ever and I think everyone should try it.

Trevor Sis Boom said...

I like your photos better than Dories! I am such a mustard fan I couldn't get enough.

Betsy said...

Weren't these good? Your picture of Dijon brings back memories. I was there almost 20 years ago. I bought a little mustard pot. I should have photographed it for my post. I do LOVE mustard.

tricia s. said...

A stunning and informative post, as always ! Your photos are unbelieveable and the way you brushed the mustard on looks like you were painting a treatment on a wall- simply perfect ! Nana and I love mustard and have fond memories of visiting the Maille store in Paris. Next time we will need to visit the one in Dijon.....

Anonymous said...

Your photos are beautiful. I agree that these are infinitely variable.

Lana said...

I made the Mustard Sticks, I even photographed them, but I did not write about them. Puff pastry lives in my freezer, and I make something with it several times a week (kids love them with chocolate or Nutella, even plain, cut into small squares and baked in pairs. We really liked the pastry flavored with Dijon mustard, and the batch disappeared, but to write about it would be like writing about PB&J sandwiches:)
I still loved them, and will make them again:)
Your photos are lovely:) I anticipate every new post knowing that there will be something beautiful to greet me:)

bunkycooks said...

Almost everything sounds better in French and this little nibble is no exception. You can be certain I will be making these to have on hand for last minute guests. BTW, that pastry brush looks very familiar. ;) Happy Easter!

Sasa said...

Your lines with the pastry brush are so straight and neat! I wish I had that kind of patience...and some of these batons ^_^