Rost le meilleur que on peut

Se vous voulez faire provision de moustarde pour garder longuement, faites-la en vendenges de moulx doulx. […] et se vous avez des espices qui soient de remenant de gelée, de claré, d’ypocras on de saulces, si soient broyées avec, et après la laissier parer. -LM 269
Mustard. If you want to make a stock of mustard to keep for a long time, do it at harvest time, in mild must. […] If you have some spices left over from making aspic, clarry, hippocras, or sauces, grind them up with it and then let it steep.
Ingredients

Roast – Beef, Salt, Long Pepper
“Excellent” Mustard – Mustard, White Wine Vinegar, Cinnamon, Ginger, Grains of Paradise, Nutmeg, Galingale, Rosemary, Yarrow, Yellow Food Color
“Stock” Mustard – Mustard, Grape Juice, Elderberry, Sugar, Red Food Color


Beef will be replaced with Portobello Mushrooms

LM gives an opinion on beef that most modern diners can agree with – that Prime Rib or Rib Roast is one of the best cuts of beef. He tells us that the “noyau” is “one of the best morsels or prime pieces of beef, whether for roasting or stewing.” and indicates that it is “the piece below the neck and shoulders.” Following the shoulder and neck “down” the animal takes us to what we call the Primal Rib section, from which we take blade, rib eye, short ribs, and prime rib cuts. Likewise, it is the best cut meeting his description as being great for both roasting and stewing, and also “supremely good” when sliced up cold.

DF instructs us that we should serve “large royal pieces” of beef and put them on a gold platter with nothing else. In winter, “it is not necessary to serve any other sauce except mustard” with the salted meats of the first course. Because mustard is such a different thing in this time and place than we are used to today, I have chosen to serve our fresh beef with scratch-made period mustard. One of LM’s three variations of mustard calls for it to be strained, and all indicate grinding the seed well, so I believe a smooth mustard is the desired outcome. We have prepared his “excellent mustard” as described above, as well as his “stock” mustard which says can be made in quantity to keep on hand. The third option is a mustard to be “made hastily in a village” which we have not presented here.

References

LM 25, LM 269, LM 317, DF

Modern Redaction
1 c.Brown Mustard Seeds
1 3/4 c.White Wine Vinegar
1 t.Hippocras Powder
1 t.Salt
“Excellent” Mustard
Yield: 2 c., about 32 Tablespoons
  • Combine all of the ingredients in a 1-quart container with a lid.
  • Set aside, and allow to soak until the Mustard Seeds are fully hydrated (1-2 days)
  • Once hydrated, blend the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth.
  • Continue blending, and add additional Vinegar as needed to reach the sharpness and consistency desired.
1 c.Brown Mustard Seeds
1 3/4 c.Pinot Noir Grape Juice
1 t.Salt
“Stock” Mustard
Yield: 2 c., about 32 Tablespoons
  • Combine all of the ingredients in a 1-quart container with a lid.
  • Set aside, and allow to soak until the Mustard Seeds are fully hydrated (1-2 days)
  • Once hydrated, blend the mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth.
  • Continue blending, and add additional Juice as needed to reach the sharpness and consistency desired.
Process Photos