Mustard Ring

This 50’s-era yellow aspic ring was submitted by the wonderful Debbie H. Thank you Debbie!

4 eggs well beaten
3/4 C sugar
1 1/2 T dry mustard
1 pkg Knox gelatin
1/2 C Cold water
1 C weak vinegar
1/2 pint whipping (heavy) cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric

Beat eggs. Mix vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard, turmeric. Add to eggs. Cook until thick. Add gelatin when cool. Fold in whipped cream and put in mold. The note at the top of the recipe says, “So good served with ham.”

Debbie also adds: “Let me know if anyone out there is brave enough to try this one.”

Well, Debbie, I am brave enough.

And here it is in all its mustard-y glory:

Turns out that this mustard ring is actually just a molded egg-based sauce. Serve it with ham or even put it on a sandwich!

At first it might look and sound disturbing, but when understood for what it is and served properly (meaning don’t just eat it plain), this mustard aspic really isn’t a terrible condiment. My husband was especially nervous to taste it but ended up enjoying it more than I did!

Using a mold is an artistic way to present an otherwise boring mustard spread.

Since there were some details missing in the original recipe it took me a few tries to get this right. If someone other than me ever plans on making this mustard ring, you’ll want to follow these instructions instead:

1. Beat eggs. Combine with vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard and turmeric. I suspect that “weak” vinegar is referring to apple cider vinegar.
2. Sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water and let it stand.
3. Cook over low heat until it is thick. Sources tell me that an egg-based sauce (such as Hollandaise) should be cooked until it starts to boil around the edges or reaches 160 degrees. Careful- If the pan gets too hot the eggs will scramble!
4. Add the gelatin and stir over low heat until it is completely dissolved.
5. Let it cool completely before adding the cream. I found that transferring the pan to a bowl of ice water speeds up the process.
6. Fold in the cream with a spatula. When it is thoroughly blended, pour into a mold. This is probably supposed to be heavy cream / un-whipped whipping cream. It is very difficult to blend in its whipped form.
7. Refrigerate until set (at least 5 hours, but I recommend overnight).

Aside from serving this with a full-sized holiday ham, I can’t think of a reason anyone would need such a large mustard ring. Consider halving the recipe and using a smaller ring, or even personal-sized mini molds.

If you want to host an authentic mid-century holiday party, definitely add this one to your menu!