No meat or cheese platter is complete without a savory-sweet mostarda. Spread it over cheeses, sliced meats or bread for a tasty bite. Here is the recipe.
As we were gearing up for the holidays at the end of last year, discussing what was going to go onto our meat and cheese platter, I knew I wanted to make a mostarda recipe. A mostarda traditionally is a Northern Italian condiment made from candied fruit and sweetened mustard, though as with most recipes, there are many variations.
It's more a technique than anything, a nice combination of savory and sweet, and I'll tell you flat out, it's a great spread.
It isn't a spicy recipe, though it can be if you wanted it to be. I opted for sweet peppers here to compliment the overall ingredient combination, as well as to please the family, as they don't exactly appreciate the level of spiciness that I do. Not many people do, except you guys! And I appreciate that!
Still, the focus here is on the flavor, particularly the combination of savory and sweet, with plenty of fresh pear, dried figs, sweet peppers and mustard seeds.
Yes!
It's nice and thick, and perfectly spreadable.
Making it is very easy. Add all of the ingredients to a pot and let it simmer until everything is softened up. Pop it all into a food processor and BOOM. Done!
Let's break it down and learn how to make mostarda, shall we?
Ingredients Needed to Make Mostarda
- ½ cup white wine
- ¼ cup plain sugar
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- ½ cup dried figs
- 2 pears ,peeled and diced
- 1 small sweet pepper, chopped
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard powder (or ground mustard)
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
How to Make Mostarda - the Recipe Method
- Add all of the ingredients to a pot. We're using white wine, sugar, dried figs, pears, sweet pepper, mustard seeds and mustard powder, ground ginger, chopped basil and salt.
- Heat to medium heat, then simmer for 15 minutes to allow everything to soften up.
- Cool, then process in a food processor until nice and smooth.
You can use it right away, but I like to refrigerate it overnight to let the flavors mingle. Serve cold or room temperature.
Boom! Easy enough, right? I love easy, that's for sure.
It's ready for spreading onto mini toasts, onto bite sized servings for boiled or cured meats, particularly onto cheeses. I enjoy layering up crackers with cheese, then finishing them up with a smear of mostarda. YUM. Perfect appetizer bite.
Give it a try, my friends. You can also serve this with any grilled or boiled meats, like beef or chicken. It's good stuff. And sure, feel free to add in some spicier peppers if you'd like. Not required! I hope you enoy it. -- Mike H.
Pear-Fig Mostarda – Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup white wine
- ¼ cup plain sugar
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- ½ cup dried figs
- 2 pears peeled and diced
- 1 small sweet pepper chopped
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard powder
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a pot. Heat to medium heat, then simmer for 15 minutes to allow everything to soften up.
- Cool, then process in a food processor until nice and smooth.
- You can use it right away, but I like to refrigerate it overnight to let the flavors mingle. Serve cold or room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nat says
Is the sweet pepper what we call chilli peppers in Australia? I have it ready to add to pot but not sure if i should!! Thanks for the recipe....i'll let you know if my Italian friend likes it!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nat, there are many different types of sweet peppers, really just peppers with little to no heat and more of a sweet flavor. There are many types you can use. Let me know what you wind up using. I hope your Italian friend likes it!