Seasonal Pantry: Mustard adds to a Southern menu

In “Serve It Forth,” food writer M. F. K. Fisher’s first book, she writes about Frederick the Great’s unusual way of enjoying coffee. He made it himself, she tells us, with champagne and a fairly large amount of mustard flour, which served to intensify the flavors. I question the use of champagne in this context, which surely must have been a show of bravado and not an actual preference, as the qualities we enjoy in sparkling wine, especially its refreshing effervescence, would vanish if it were heated. And the mustard, what’s up with that?

It’s not as unusual as it may seem. Mustard has long been used as a flavor intensifier, in sauces, stews, soups and desserts. Why not beverages?

If you’ve lived near Alabama you may have encountered the combination of coffee and mustard in red-eye gravy. There are many versions of this sauce throughout the South and the Midwest, many without mustard but some, such as those found in and around Alabama, that include it. It is typically served with country ham.

When I was working on a recent book, “The Good Cook’s Book of Mustard” (Skyhorse Publishing, 2015), I included two versions of the recipe, one with a whole country ham and another with ham steaks.

I’ve found that this dish goes beautifully with a dry hard cider, well chilled. Make sure there’s enough to get you all the way through dessert.

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You can find good ham steaks at markets such as Oliver’s and Pacific and, sometimes, at our farmers markets. This dish is common in the south as breakfast, where it is served with eggs and buttermilk biscuits, but not the greens I suggest here. I’m not one for big breakfasts but I do enjoy this dish, especially on a cool night in the shoulder season, that time in late May and early June when the spring harvest is winding down and summer’s harvest is still a few weeks away.

Ham Steaks with Red-Eye Gravy, Grits & Greens

Serves 4 to 6

- Grits, recipe follows

- Braised Greens, recipe follows

3 tablespoons butter

2 large ham steaks, preferably center cut, halved

1 cup strong, brewed coffee

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, coarse-grain mustard, or other mustard of choice, to taste

1 tablespoon maple syrup, molasses or honey, plus more to taste

- Generous pinch crushed red pepper flakes

- Kosher salt

- Black pepper in a mill

Prepare the grits 45 minutes before you want to serve the meal.

Just before preparing the ham, make the greens, set them aside and keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

In a large skillet set over medium heat, melt a tablespoon of the butter and add 2 pieces of ham. Saute 2 minutes, turn and saute 2 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and set in the oven. Repeat with the other 2 pieces of ham.

Return the skillet to medium heat, add the coffee and deglaze the pan. Stir in the mustard and syrup, molasses or honey, along with the crushed red-pepper flakes. Taste for balance and sweetness, adding a bit more mustard or a bit more sweetener as needed. Simmer until the mixture reduces slightly. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Swirl in the remaining butter and the moment it melts, remove the pan from the heat.

Working quickly, transfer the ham to individual plates, add accompaniments and spoon sauce on top. Serve right away.

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I like the clean, pristine quality of plain grits with this dish but if you prefer something creamier, I suggest adding about 6 ounces of smoked cheddar cheese along with the butter. The smoky flavors will resonate beautifully with both the ham and the gravy.

Grits

Serves 4 to 6

- Kosher salt

1 cup coarse white grits or white polenta, preferably stone-ground

3 tablespoons butter

Pour 5 cups of water into a large heavy saucepan, add 2 teaspoons of salt and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Pour in the grits very slowly, stirring all the while in the same direction. Continue to stir until the water returns to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently, stirring frequently, until the grits are thick and tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Taste, correct for salt and pour into a heated serving bowl. Stir in the butter and serve.

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I typically use Lacinato kale or sturdy mustard greens in this dish, but you can use any type of green that you like and happen to have, from chard to collards and dandelion greens. Simply adjust the cooking time to be certain the greens are tender.

Braised Greens

Serves 4 to 6

2 tablespoons butter or bacon fat

1 bunch mustard greens, kale or other sturdy green, trimmed and cut into crosswise slices

- Crushed red pepper flakes

- Kosher salt

- Apple cider vinegar

Put the butter or bacon fat into a heavy saute pan set over medium heat and, when it is melted, add the greens. Turn to coat them in the fat, cover, and cook very gently until wilted, about 10 minutes.

Uncover, check for tenderness, sprinkle to taste with pepper flakes, season with salt, toss and continue to cook until very tender. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve right away, with apple cider vinegar alongside.

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To turn your ham, grits and greens menu into a true feast, serve homemade strawberry shortcake as dessert.

Strawberry Shortcake with Creme Fraiche

Serves 6

6 cups (2 1/2 pints) strawberries, stemmed and sliced in half lengthwise

5 tablespoons sugar, plus more as needed

1/4 cup butter, plus more for the baking sheet, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup heavy cream, preferably local and organic, plus 2 to 3 tablespoons more, if needed

1 cup creme fraiche, gently whipped

Put the strawberries in a medium bowl and toss them with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. After 2 hours, stir gently and if the berries seem a little bland, add 1 tablespoon of sugar, stir and chill 2 hours more.

Meanwhile, make the shortcake. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and butter a baking sheet.

Put the flour, baking powder, salt and the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar into a mixing bowl and stir together with your fingers.

Make a well in the center and put the butter in the well; using a pastry cutter, combine the butter and flour, working from the center to the outside over and over until the mixture resembles small crumbs. Work quickly so that the butter remains somewhat cool.

Again, make a well in the center of the mixture and pour in the cream. Use a finger to quickly and gently mix the flour and cream together to form a single lump of damp crumbs. If it seems really dry, sprinkle some of the remaining cream over it and turn gently a couple of times. Do not over-mix.

Gently press the dough together to form a ball and set it on a well-floured surface. Knead very gently for 5 seconds, just until it comes together; gently pat into a 1/2-inch thick round. Cut into 6 equal portions and carefully transfer to the buttered baking sheet. Bake until very lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

To serve, carefully cut open each biscuit and set on a serving plate, setting the top half off to the side.

Gently pour the strawberry juices into a small bowl and set aside. Divide the berries among the serving, piling them on top of the bottom half of the biscuit. Use all the berries and let some fall onto the plate. Top the berries with some of the creme fraiche and drizzle the reserved juices on top. Set the top half of the biscuit off center so that it rests on the bottom half and does not fully cover the berries. Serve right way.

Michele Anna Jordan has written 19 books to date, including the new “More Than Meatballs.” Email Jordan at catsmilk@sonic.net. You’ll find her blog, “Eat This Now,” at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com