The Review - FOOD AND DRINK - Cooking with CLARE Published: 20th August 2008
Bangers and mash make Bonfire Night
Make your Guy Fawkes Night go with a sizzle with these delicious recipes, says Clare Latimer
I WAS taken on a trip to Dijon to learn about Maille (pronounced My) mustard just around Bonfire Night last year. I was not a fan of mustard until this trip and had no idea that it could taste very mild and have such good flavours. Mustard has been around forever in the culinary world and has been used medicinally and here are a few facts which interested me.
France produces over half the world’s mustard although most of the seeds are grown in Canada. Germany consumes 700g per person per year but in France its one kilogramme per person per year.
The word mustard comes from the Latin mustum ardens meaning ‘burning must’ (The must being unfermented grape juice.) It is part of the same family as cabbage, radish and watercress.
It is very healthy – low in fat, no cholesterol and contains three times more calcium than full fat cow’s milk and four times the iron content of liver.
Medicinally it is used as a digestive stimulant, used to relieve rheumatism, gout, arthritis and colds and fever and even toothache and sore throats.
Cooking reduces the pungency so it should be added at the end of the cooking process to remain hot.
Keeping mustard too long can make flavour go bitter so buy it in small quantities.
As it is Guy Fawkes at the weekend I have chosen some dishes that are good to tuck into after standing around outside staring up into the sky at fireworks exploding.
Bangers and Mustard Mash
I am hoping to import some flavoured Maille Mustards for my shop such as Cassis, Red fruit, Walnut, Honey and Grape but at the moment you will either have to use the usual mustards or hop over to France where they are all sold and stock up.
If you serve baked beans with this dish, try adding a dash of Port or red wine into the beans.
Serves 4
Ingredients
500g baking potatoes, peeled and chopped roughly;
one onion, peeled and roughly chopped;
Little salt;
50g butter;
75ml milk, approx;
one desp mustard – you choose;
500g Cumberland sausages.
Method
Put the potatoes and onion into a large saucepan with the salt. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 - 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
Meanwhile, fry the sausages gently in a large frying pan until brown on all sides. Drain the potatoes and return to the saucepan or into an electric mixer.
Add the butter, milk and mustard and mash well. Check for seasoning and then serve with the sausages.