Makes About 3 Cups Mostarda
Notes
A platter of cheese and some fresh fruit is the simplest way to end a good meal. Take it a step further with a store-bought or homemade mostarda. This makes about 3 cups, which is enough for quite a few cheese plates, but it will keep well in the refrigerator for a few weeks or more. This mostarda also makes a good sandwich spread or condiment for pork or chicken.
When assembling a cheese plate, keep it simple- three cheeses, or four at the most. A good rule is to choose one made from each type of milk- cow, goat, and sheep. Try to vary the pungency: if you have a very earthy or pungent cheese, also offer something mild and something in the middle. Finally, vary the textures- if you’ve got a grainy and crumbly cheese, like Grana Padano or pecorino (two of my favorites), offer one that’s semi-hard and more sliceable and one that’s creamy and spreadable. Plan on buying an ounce or so of each cheese per person. Add some seasonal fresh fruit, some nuts, and your mostarda, and you’re all set!
This also goes very well with Gnocco Fritto, which you can find here: Fried Dough with Prosciutto – Lidia (lidiasitaly.com)
Active Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- Plum Mostarda
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons dry mustard
- 3 pounds mixed plums, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon peperoncino flakes
Directions
Combine the white wine and vinegar in a large saucepan, and whisk in the dry mustard until smooth. Add the plums, sugar, ginger, mustard seeds, salt, and peperoncino, and continue to bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring often (especially toward the end, as it thickens), until thick and syrupy, about 15 minutes. Cool, and pack into a lidded jar. The mostarda will keep 3 to 4 weeks in the refrigerator.
