Mustard is a herbaceous plant with a bitter taste that belongs to the cruciferous family, together with cabbage, rocket, cauliflower and radishes. Its leaves are rich in nutrients, suitable for many uses and easy to cook. After having washed them and deprived of the final part of the stems, which is the thickest and most leathery, you can steam them, boil them or sauté them.
Ingrediants
Boiled Mustard Leaves
- 1-2 large bunches of mustard leaves
- 1 liter of vegetable or chicken broth
- Salt, pepper or other spices to taste
- 75 g onion stewed in a pan (optional)
- 75 g diced bacon (optional)
Steamed Mustard Leaves
- 1-2 large bunches of mustard leaves
- Waterfall
- Salt, pepper, garlic or other spices to taste
- Sesame oil (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar (optional)
Sautéed Mustard Leaves
- 1-2 large bunches of mustard leaves
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt, black pepper, chilli, or cayenne pepper
- 1-2 chopped shallots, 1 minced clove of garlic or 1/2 bell pepper cut into strips (optional)
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Boil the Mustard Leaves
Step 1. Bring the vegetable or chicken stock to a boil
Pour it into the pot and heat it over high heat until it starts to boil. Then adjust the heat so that it just simmers. While you wait for the broth to come to a boil, you can prepare the mustard leaves.
- If you want, you can stew 75 g of onion in a pan and add it to the broth along with 75 g of diced bacon. Alternatively, you can use only one of the two ingredients. The goal is to make the broth tastier.
- The ideal would be to use homemade broth, but for convenience you can buy it ready-made at the supermarket.
Step 2. Wash the mustard leaves with cold water
Free them from the elastic that holds them together and place them in a basin or sink full of water. Check them one at a time to make sure you get rid of any dirt or dirt. Mustard leaves grow close to the ground, so it's important to clean them carefully before cooking and eating them. After washing them, you can dry them with the salad spinner or pat them with a cloth or kitchen paper to absorb excess water.
- If the leaves are a lot and you don't want to waste time checking them one at a time, you can simply swirl them in the water. If a lot of dirt accumulates on the bottom of the sink or bowl, change the water and wash it again.
- An average portion of mustard leaves corresponds to 50-70 g.
Step 3. Eliminate the hardest stems
Arrange the leaves on the cutting board and remove the lower ends of the stems with a sharp knife. If you prefer, you can tear them off with your hands. Generally that is the hardest part of the mustard leaves, as well as the hardest to chew.
- Keep the stems more tender.
- Mustard leaves look a lot like turnip greens. After removing the leathery parts, they should be nearly uniform in length.
Step 4. Dip the leaves in the boiling broth
Put them in the pot a little at a time, you will probably have to push them down with the wooden spoon to make room for the next ones. If you are concerned that the broth may overflow, wait a few moments for them to wilt before adding more.
Be careful not to put your hands in the hot broth to avoid burning yourself
Step 5. Let the mustard leaves simmer for 45-60 minutes
For the more tender ones, 45 minutes of cooking will be sufficient, while the thicker and thicker ones may need an extra quarter of an hour to dry completely.
- Occasionally stir the leaves with the wooden spoon to help them cook evenly.
- When cooked, the mustard leaves will have lost most of their volume. Take this into consideration when deciding how many to cook. In general, it is better to prepare a few more than you plan to eat.
Step 6. Drain the leaves and serve them hot
Turn off the heat and drain the mustard leaves from the remaining broth. Transfer them directly to serving dishes. If you want, you can keep the broth, season it with salt and pepper and drink it to benefit from the nutrients released by the leaves during cooking.
- The pot will be hot after being on the stove for so long. Use pot holders to avoid burning yourself.
- If the mustard leaves are left over, you can store them in the refrigerator. Transfer them to an airtight container or food bag and eat them within 2-3 days.
Method 2 of 3: Steam the Mustard Leaves
Step 1. Wash and dry the mustard leaves
Use cold running water to remove soil residues and impurities. Rub them with your fingers if there are any pieces of dirt that the water has not been able to dissolve. After washing them, dry them with the salad spinner or dab them with a cloth or kitchen paper to absorb excess water.
- Eliminate leaves that have a strange color or slimy texture. They are most likely old and rotting.
- An average portion of mustard leaves corresponds to 50-70 g.
Step 2. Remove the stems
Cut or tear them with your hands after stacking the leaves neatly. Try to remove only the hardest, most leathery parts that are difficult to chew. You can keep the stems more tender and clear.
The remaining stems can be cut into small pieces and cooked together with the leaves. If you want, you can also break or cut the leaves before placing them in the steamer basket. This way you don't have to cut them once on the plate
Step 3. Pour the water into the pot and bring it to a boil
5 cm of boiling water under the basket is enough for steam cooking. Place the pot on the stove and heat the water over medium-high heat. When it boils, you can start cooking the leaves.
- To steam mustard leaves you need a steamer or a regular pot and a metal basket that you can place inside. The water must boil at the bottom of the pot and must not come into contact with the vegetables contained in the basket.
- If you want, you can pour half a teaspoon of vinegar into the water; evaporating it will infuse its flavor into the leaves.
Step 4. Place the leaves in the basket and place the lid on the pot
Add a handful of leaves at a time, after a few seconds they will begin to wilt, creating space for the next ones. This way you should be able to cook them all at once. When the whole portion is in the basket, put the lid on the pot.
The lid must remain on the pot until cooked to retain the steam that is used to cook the mustard leaves
Step 5. The leaves will be ready after 4-6 minutes
You can mix them from time to time to prevent them from sticking together or to the basket, but it's not mandatory, you can also just let the steam do its job. You will understand that they are ready when they are tender and withered.
- Larger, thicker leaves may need to cook for up to 10 minutes, depending on your taste.
- Steam cooking requires the ingredients to be seasoned only once they are cooked.
Step 6. Drain the leaves before serving
Throw out the remaining water in the pot and then gently press the leaves with the back of the spoon or with a silicone spatula to squeeze them out of the excess moisture. Place the leaves on the side dish and season them with sesame oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder or other spices to taste.
- Use the pot holders to remove the basket from the pot as it will be hot.
- If the mustard leaves are left over, store them in the refrigerator and eat them within 2-3 days. Alternatively, you can put them in the freezer to make them last longer. In both cases, transfer them to an airtight container or food bag.
Method 3 of 3: Sauté the Mustard Leaves in the Pan
Step 1. Wash and dry the mustard leaves
Rinse them one at a time under cold running water or put them in a basin or sink full of water and swirl them with your hands to dissolve the dirt residues and remove impurities. After washing them, dry them with the salad spinner or dab them with a cloth or kitchen paper to absorb excess water.
- Keep in mind that an average portion of mustard leaves corresponds to 50-70 g.
- The leaves must be perfectly dry when you put them in the pan. Otherwise the boiling oil could splash, and the flavor of the condiments would be diluted by the residual water.
Step 2. Eliminate the hardest parts of the stems
Leave the leaves intact and keep only the lightest, tenderest stems. The harder ends are very fibrous and remain difficult to chew even if they are cooked for a long time.
Step 3. Heat two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large pan
Use a medium heat and tilt the pan sideways to coat the bottom with oil. Wait until it is hot before adding the leaves.
- You can add a more exotic taste to the dish by using coconut, sesame or avocado oil. Like extra virgin olive oil, they are rich in healthy fats and have a delicate flavor.
- You can add an aromatic mince prepared with 1-2 shallots and a clove of garlic. If you prefer, you can also fry half a pepper cut into strips in oil.
Step 4. Add the leaves and sauté them for 5 minutes
After a while they will begin to wither and lose volume. Stir them often so that, in rotation, they all come into contact with the hot oil.
- If you want, when the leaves have wilted, you can add a little vegetable or chicken broth to the pan. It will keep them moist and meaty as well as give them flavor.
- Do not cover the pan, the evaporating moisture must not fall on the leaves.
Step 5. Season the mustard leaves with salt, pepper and other spices to taste
You can use chili or cayenne pepper to make the dish more intriguing. Try adding a little lemon juice as well, acidity is very useful for balancing a main dish with strong flavors.
- You can also use stir-fry mustard leaves to season pasta (just like you do with turnip greens). If you prefer to eat them as a side dish, they go perfectly with both meat, especially pork, and fish.
- If the mustard leaves are left over, transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator. Eat them within 2-3 days.
Advice
- If you are in a hurry or do not have the stove available, you can put the mustard leaves in a glass or porcelain container, add two tablespoons of water and cook them in the microwave on maximum power for 4-5 minutes or until they have the texture you want.
- Mustard leaves are the perfect accompaniment to a platter of sausages and cold cuts.
