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Mustard
Brown 1 tablespoonful of butter, add 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, stir smooth; then add 1 cup of beef stock. Let simmer.
To 1 tablespoonful of French or celery mustard add 1 tablespoonful of vinegar, 1 of sugar, and 1 of made mustard, 1/4 teaspoonful of salt, 1/2 teaspoonful of paprika. Now add the above into the stock, and stir until smooth.
This is a mustard sauce built on a brown roux and beef stock — a thick, sharp gravy meant to be spooned over fried or broiled oysters and other shellfish rather than a condiment jar of mustard.
- Add the mustard off the heatKeep the heat low once the mustard goes in -- The recipe simply says to add the mustard mixture to the stock and stir until smooth. Prolonged cooking drives off the volatile compounds that give mustard its bite, so it is worth keeping the sauce below a boil after that point.
- Brown the roux properlyBrown the butter, then the flour -- The recipe browns the butter before the flour goes in, then stirs the two smooth. Cook until the flour loses its raw smell and the roux takes on colour; that colour is the only depth the sauce gets besides the stock.
- "Made mustard"Made mustard is simply prepared mustard — mustard flour already mixed to a paste with liquid, as opposed to dry powder. Any smooth prepared yellow or brown mustard stands in.
- French or celery mustard'French mustard' at this date generally meant a mustard prepared in the French manner, milder and vinegar- or wine-based; a Dijon-style prepared mustard is the closest modern stand-in. Celery mustard appears to have been a prepared mustard flavoured with celery; crushed celery seed added to a smooth prepared mustard gives a similar effect.
- PaprikaPaprika of this era was usually a mild, sweet type used as much for colour as for heat. Half a teaspoon in one cup of sauce reads as colouring and background warmth rather than a chilli note.
- Beef stockA cup of unsalted or lightly salted stock is assumed; the recipe adds only a quarter teaspoon of salt. If you use commercial broth, leave the salt out until you have tasted the finished sauce.
- Consistency and yieldConsistency -- Two tablespoons of flour to one cup of stock gives a heavy coating sauce, and the vinegar and mustard thin it only slightly. The recipe states no yield; loosen with more stock if you want it pourable.
- ServingThe recipe names no accompaniment. A sharp brown mustard sauce of this weight suits fried or broiled fish and shellfish, or cold boiled beef or tongue. Serve it hot; a roux this heavy stiffens as it cools.