Skip to main content
Epicurious
Cookbooks

Sweet Mustard Sauce

By Andreas Viestad

Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are reprinted from Andreas Viestad's book Kitchen of Light: New Scandinavian Cooking.

People tend to differ as to what the real, authentic food traditions are. These differences can cut across countries, regions, or even families (my wife and I can never agree on what to have for Christmas dinner). But on one subject, there is no disagreement among the people of Norway, Sweden, and Finland: Gravlaks should be served with a sweet mustard sauce.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

6 tablespoons sweet grainy mustard, or to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
1 to 2 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

Preparation

  1. Combine the sweet mustard and 2 tablespoons of the Dijon mustard in a medium bowl. Add the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the vinegar. Gradually add the oil, whisking constantly. Adjust the flavors as necessary. The sauce should be neither overly sweet nor overly acidic. Add a little water if the sauce gets too thick. Stir in the chopped dill. It will keep, refrigerated, for 2 to 3 weeks.

TagsSauceCondimentScandinavianEuropeanDillHerbs & SpicesGluten FreeDairy FreeEasyQuickNo-CookCookbooks
Read More
Île Flottante
Originally called omelette à la neige (snow omelet) in reference to the fluffy snow-like appearance of the meringue, île flottante (floating island) has a lengthy history that dates back to the 17th century.
Palets Bretons
Palets bretons are oversize cookies that feature butter, and because they’re from Brittany, they’re traditionally made with beurre salé, salted butter.
Grape Dumplings
Native American people made these with cornmeal dumplings, simmering them with wild grapes, which were harvested at their peak sweetness.
Fufu
Fufu is a dish that has been passed down through many generations and is seen as a symbol of Ghanaian identity and heritage. Making fufu traditionally is a very laborious task; this recipe mimics some of that hard work but with a few home-cook hacks that make for a far easier time.
Pickle Coleslaw
Creamy, vinegary, and with lots of fresh dill.
Sofrito Bolognese
An ex-boyfriend’s mom—who emigrated from Colombia—made the best meat sauce—she would fry sofrito for the base and simply add cooked ground beef, sazón, and jarred tomato sauce. My version is a bit more bougie—it calls for caramelized tomato paste and white wine—but the result is just as good.
Mississippi Mud Cake
This cake was created from thrift and was supposedly named after its appearance, which reminded people of the muddy Mississippi River bottom.
Smothered Italian Sausage
This is what I call a fridge-eater recipe. The key here is getting a nice sear on the sausage and cooking the tomato down until it coats the sausage and vegetables well.