Wondering what to do with french mustard? This guide covers how to pick it, cook it, store it, and swap it, plus 13 recipes to put it to work.

What is french mustard?

French mustard is a smooth, mild brown mustard in the Dijon style: made from brown or black mustard seeds blended with verjuice, wine or vinegar into a creamy paste. It is warm and tangy rather than searingly hot.

A word of caution on the name, because it crosses the Atlantic badly. In Britain, "French mustard" means exactly this gentle Dijon-style brown condiment. In the United States, French's is a brand of bright-yellow hot dog mustard, a completely different and milder thing colored with turmeric.

The recipes here use the British sense: a soft brown table mustard that melts into sauces and dressings.

How to Use French Mustard

Its best trick is emulsifying. A spoonful whisked into oil and vinegar holds a vinaigrette together and rounds off the sharp edges, which is why it anchors the dressing in Bean Salad Plus Tuna or Bacon.

Stir it into pan sauces and braises off the heat or near the end, so the gentle aromatics survive. French Mushroom & Ham Soup and Haricot Beef Casserole both lean on it to lift a rich, meaty base without adding obvious heat.

It also works as a built-in seasoning. Brushed onto fish or meat before grilling, as in Skewered Fish with Honey-Mustard Sauce, it sets up a tangy crust and helps a glaze cling.

A little sharpens deviled eggs and gives a potato salad some tang.

Cooking and Pairing

French mustard has natural friends. It loves beef, pork, ham, oily fish, and aged cheese, and it cuts the fat in cream sauces and slow braises like Short Ribs Al Diavolo. Honey rounds it out, while tarragon with a splash of white wine turns it into a classic French sauce.

The most common mistake is boiling it hard for a long stretch. Sustained high heat drives off the volatile compounds that give mustard its lift, leaving a flat, faintly bitter sauce. Add it late, or warm it through gently.

The second mistake is assuming it is hot. This style is mellow, so if you want real pungency reach for English mustard or a coarse-grain instead. Taste as you go.

Substitutes

Dijon is the obvious swap and is closer to identical than a substitute. Use it spoon for spoon.

Whole-grain mustard brings the same flavor with a seedy texture and gentle pop. That suits a dressing or a sauce, though it changes the look of a smooth glaze.

For sharper heat, a small amount of English or Chinese mustard works, but start with half the quantity since both are far hotter.

In a pinch, a teaspoon of mustard powder slaked with a little water and a drop of vinegar mimics the bite, though it lacks the wine-soft depth of the real paste.

Buying and Storing

Look for a jar labeled Dijon or simply French mustard, smooth and pale-brown. Check the label if heat matters to you: a true Dijon-style paste is mild, while anything marked "hot" or "English" is a different beast.

Mustard is self-preserving thanks to its acidity, so an unopened jar keeps a year or more in the pantry, often well past its printed date.

Once opened, store it in the fridge with the lid tight. It stays good for several months, though it slowly loses pungency and the surface can darken as it oxidizes. Stir that top layer back in rather than scraping it off.

If it ever smells off or grows mold around the rim, toss it, but that is rare with a condiment this acidic.

Quick facts

In Chinese

法国芥末

British (UK) term

French mustard

en français

la moutarde française

en español

mostaza francés

Recipes using french mustard

There are 13 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 13 recipes