It’s easy to imagine the lucky culinary mishap that launched Wicked Good’s bold concoction as a version of that old Reese’s ad: “You got caramel in my mustard!” The company, which started in 2006, is like a hipper Stonewall Kitchen. Based in Rhode Island — the land of chorizo and coffee milk — Wicked Good’s product line includes raspberry-chocolate jam, eggplant caponata, and an inspired agave ketchup. The addictive caramel mustard, though, is hands-down the flagship condiment.
The caramel descriptor might throw you, but the combo isn’t as odd as it sounds. Think of it as a more decadent honey mustard. Apple-cider vinegar and sea salt give it depth, and a dash of wasabi gives it a subtle zing. The unorthodox yet versatile creation is a recipe saver if ever there was one: marinate a mountain of chicken wings or steak tips with it. Ditch the mayo and build a better BLT. Take cracked black pepper and whip up a daring steak au poivre. Use it to bathe portobello mushrooms for a cook-out. Add chopped garlic and a handful of currants and baste a killer ham. For the home chef taking it to the next level, it conjures a sublime aioli or vinaigrette. Need an appetizer for pop-in guests? “Spread the top of a baby brie cheese with caramel mustard, wrap in puff pastry, and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes,” offers Bart Ferris, one half of the duo behind Wicked Good. Of course, you won’t be disappointed if you simply slather it on a Pearl Country Club or Kayem natural-casing frank.
Should you ever have to make a tough choice between dinner and dessert, this sweet-’n’-savory mustard will make that decision a whole lot easier.
Available for approximately $6 at area markets, including Russo’s, Savenor’s, and Whole Foods, and at wickedgoodcompany.com.
Related:
Toro's lengua con lentejas y salsa verde, Trash talk, My Diner, More
- Toro's lengua con lentejas y salsa verde
When it comes to exciting members of the animal kingdom, it’s hard to beat a bull.
- Trash talk
Trash night. Trash night, trash night, trash night. Abfallnacht , as they probably call it in Germany.
- My Diner
Telling anyone about My Diner is bound to trigger a round of Abbott and Costello–like jousting.
- Crossword: 'The big owe'
Beast needs food, beast gets food
- West Side Kitchen
West Side Kitchen is part diner, part Norman Rockwell luncheonette, and entirely cozy.
- Italian Express
East Boston may or may not be the city’s other North End, but it does have strong Italian flavor.
- Seeing the unseeable
In tonal music and in dance it never happens.
- Flash without fire
The aim of the DeCordova Museum’s Annual Exhibition is to round up “some of the most interesting and visually eloquent” New England artists.
- City Feed and Supply
Put down your brown-rice sushi and get thee to Jamaica Plain’s City Feed And Supply, a throwback to the days of mom-and-pop corner stores.
- The Hen House Wings ’n Waffles
The Hen House recently arrived near Newmarket Square to perplex neophytes like me with myriad variations on this sweet/savory platter of comfort.
- Danny’s Diner
After a Danny’s breakfast, you might be late for work, but you can skip lunch.
- Less

Topics:
Noshing
, Culture and Lifestyle, Food and Cooking, Foods, More
, Culture and Lifestyle, Food and Cooking, Foods, Fruits and Vegetables, Less