Mustard with gherkins

Mustard with gherkins from Orléans, remoulade in a jar

Martin-Pouret's mustard with gherkins is a creamy French mustard from Orléans featuring small-diced cornichons. Not a smooth table mustard, but a savory mustard specialty with sweet and sour gherkin pieces.

Mustard with gherkins is called Moutarde aux Cornichons at Martin-Pouret and is a creamy mustard from the French city of Orléans, refined with finely chopped cornichons. This gives their signature Moutarde d'Orléans a sweet and sour freshness and a little crunch – almost like a remoulade, just more concentrated.

On your spoon, you can see the small gherkin pieces in the golden-yellow mustard, and in your mouth, the sharpness of the mustard is followed by the sweet and sour note of the cornichons. A mustard with character that adds zest to any cold plate. Both a spread and a sauce in one, it’s something you’ll find yourself reaching for in the fridge again and again. Anyone who tries it quickly understands why the French love their mustard so much.

Creamy, savory, with a sweet and sour crunch

The mustard with gherkins tastes creamy and medium-hot, with the fresh counterpoint of the pickled cornichons. It contains a full 20 percent gherkins – small-cut, sweet and sour, crunchy; you can taste it in every spoonful. It turns simple mustard into a little delicacy that you won't want to be without on your snack board.

It is made like the other varieties from the house: Loire mustard seeds ground in a stone mill, stirred with Guérande salt and their own Orléans vinegar, then the finely chopped cornichons are added. It only releases its full aroma after a maturation period.

With ham, snacks, and instead of remoulade

Mustard with gherkins loves hearty plates: boiled ham, game and poultry pâtés, cold cuts, and cheese. Above all, it replaces remoulade – wherever you would otherwise reach for a ready-made sauce. A spoonful saves you from using store-bought remoulade and tastes more honest, like real mustard and real gherkins.

Stir it into potato salad or beef tartare, serve it with meatballs, fried potatoes, and brawn; on a hot dog or in a sandwich, it is a must anyway. Those looking for the pure version without pieces will find the creamy Moutarde d'Orléans, and those who like their gherkins individually can find the crunchy cornichons right next door.

Mustard from Orléans like hundreds of years ago

Orléans was once the French capital for vinegar and mustard – as early as 1580, a royal decree honored the vinegars and mustards from there, and by 1810, the city boasted around 400 vinegar makers. Today, only one house remains: Martin-Pouret, the last master in the city since 1797.

The recipe dates back to the 18th century, and the knowledge of the Maître Vinaigrier spans over 200 years. In 2019, David Matheron and Paul-Olivier Claudepierre took over the house and are continuing this legacy – along with mustard, they also produce wine vinegars, cornichons, and other varieties from Martin-Pouret. A house that makes the vinegar in which the gherkins swim naturally has a head start for this mustard. Remarkable how cleverly mustard and gherkin come together here.

Used cold, so the gherkins stay crunchy

The mustard with gherkins remains cold and uncooked so that the gherkins retain their crunch. A spoonful in potato salad, a dollop with cold roast, and you can skip the remoulade. The 200-gram jar goes a long way, and it keeps for many weeks in the fridge after opening.