Smoked Links Wrapped in Mustard Green Pastry with Chive Dijonaise

Growing up, the holiday season meant one thing I couldn't wait for: pigs in a blanket. These days I like finding ways to work vegetables into the dishes I make, so this version pairs smoked cocktail links with a mustard greens filling — a nod to the usual swipe of mustard — and adds black mustard seeds for extra flavor and a bit of crunch. It's a fun upgrade on a holiday standby.

Info

• Cook time: 1 hour
• Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

Pigs and Mustard Greens

• Kosher salt
• 1 pound mustard greens, cleaned
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 3 shallots, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeded, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fine cornmeal
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Japanese mayonnaise, such as Kewpie
• 2 cans crescent rolls, such as Pillsbury
• 48 cocktail-size smoked links
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
• Black mustard seeds, for sprinkling
• Smoked flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Chive Dijonaise

• 3/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup Japanese mayonnaise, such as Kewpie
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground horseradish
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare the mustard greens: drop them into a big pot of salted water at a rolling boil and blanch for roughly 1 minute. Pour everything through a colander to drain, then move the greens into an ice water bath. Lift them out, wrap them in a clean, dry cloth and press to extract the excess liquid. Once mostly drained, chop them roughly and set aside.
3. In a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil. Stir in the shallots, garlic and jalapeno, add 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and sweat on low until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the greens, raise the heat to high and stir until everything is evenly mixed. Take the pan off the heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl. Stir in 1 teaspoon kosher salt, the cornmeal, cayenne or red chile flakes, mustard and mayonnaise. Set the bowl over an ice bath and turn it until the mixture cools, about 5 minutes.
4. To build each piece, spoon 2 teaspoons of the greens mixture onto the wide end of a crescent dough triangle and set a smoked link on top. Fold the sides of the dough in over the link, then roll it away from you toward the pointed tip. Continue with the rest of the dough and links. Brush the tops with melted butter, scatter on mustard seeds and smoked sea salt, and bake 12 to 15 minutes until golden, turning the pan halfway through.
5. For the chive Dijonaise, combine the mustard, mayonnaise, horseradish, kosher salt and chives in a medium bowl and whisk. Taste, then adjust the seasoning as you like.
6. Arrange the pigs in a blanket on a plate and serve alongside the chive Dijonaise.