Dijon Mustard
The quiet workhorse — it emulsifies a dressing, glazes a chicken, and sharpens almost anything.
Why I love it
A teaspoon makes a vinaigrette creamy and holds it together; a smear glazes salmon or chicken; a dab lifts a pan sauce. Small jar, big job.
Buying it
A good smooth Dijon for dressings, and a grainy whole-grain for texture on meats and boards. Real Dijon-style, not the bright-yellow ballpark kind.
Storing it
In the fridge once opened; the vinegar preserves it, so it keeps a long time.
Using it
Whisk into vinaigrettes to emulsify them, glaze salmon or a maple-Dijon sheet-pan chicken, or stir into a sauce.
A little nutrition
Negligible calories — and it lets you make a creamy-tasting dressing with far less oil.
A teaspoon of Dijon is the secret to a vinaigrette that doesn't separate — it emulsifies the oil and acid into something creamy that clings to the greens.