Q. I am trying to re-create a sauce that was served with chicken that I had in a restaurant. The waiter told me it was made from mayonnaise and Creole mustard, but I can't find Creole mustard. I tried using Dijon mustard, and it was close, but not right. Can you tell me what Creole mustard is, and where I can find it?
A. First of all, Creole mustard is a Louisiana product that was originally made by French who settled in that state. It consists of vinegar, marinated brown mustard seeds, turmeric, molasses, red and black pepper, herbs and a touch of horseradish. I like the two best-known brands of this hot and spicy mustard, Zatarain's and Maison Louisianne, and they can be found in the gourmet section of supermarkets. If you can't find either, you can substitute a mixture of coarse brown mustard and a touch of horseradish.
Now that you have some Creole mustard, let's talk about the sauce you are trying to re-create.
The waiter told you that it was made of mayonnaise and Creole mustard. Now if it really was made with mayonnaise, I can only assume that it was used on a cold chicken dish or as a dressing on a chicken sandwich.
If you were served a heated sauce, then my bet is that it did not contain mayonnaise. Here's a recipe for Warm Creole Mustard Sauce using sour cream.
Jim Coleman is executive chef at the Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia, a cookbook author and host of television and radio cooking shows. Candace Hagan is a food writer and cookbook author.
Warm Creole Mustard Sauce
1 / 4 cup cream
1 / 4 cup Creole mustard
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
Put the cream in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Whisk in the Creole mustard, thyme, and tarragon. Just before serving, whisk in the sour cream until well-blended. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.