Perhaps you know and love tartare sauce as an accompaniment for fish ‘n’ chips. But what exactly is it? Here, we discover what’s in tartare sauce, provide a step-by-step guide to making homemade tartare sauce and share our best tartare sauce recipes. Trust us, you’re going to want to serve it with more than just fried fish.
What Is Tartare Sauce?
Tartare sauce is a mayonnaise-based condiment made with chopped pickles or relish, shallots and capers that's typically served with seafood. It’s often enjoyed as a dip for fried fish, especially fish and chips, as well as other seafood dishes, such as our ultimate crab cakes, scrummy salmon burgers or Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten's salmon cakes.
What Is In Tartar Sauce?
Tartare sauce is made with three main ingredients: mayonnaise, shallots and capers. Tartare sauce can also include the following additions:
- Pickles: finely chopped pickles, cornichons or sweet pickle relish
- Mustard: Dijon or wholegrain
- Herbs: parsley, dill, chives or tarragon
- Citrus: lemon juice and zest
- Egg: chopped hard-boiled eggs
- Aromatics: garlic, spring onions
- Condiments: hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce
- Sweetener: some recipes call for a teaspoon or so of sugar
How to Make Tartar Sauce
- Add Ingredients to your Food Processor: Place mayonnaise, small-diced pickles (or cornichons), white wine vinegar (or Champagne vinegar), capers, coarse-grain mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor or mini-chopper fitted with a steel blade.
- Mix the Ingredients: Pulse several times until the pickles are finely chopped and all the ingredients are well mixed but not pureed.
- Chill the Tartare Sauce: Transfer the tartare sauce into a container, then cover and chill for at least an hour or until ready to serve.
- Serve and Store the Tartare Sauce: Serve the chilled tartare sauce with fried fish, seafood dishes or vegetables. Store any leftover tartare sauce in a covered, air-tight container for up to a week.
How Long Does Tartare Sauce Last
Homemade tartare sauce will last for up to one week stored in the fridge. Be sure to store tartare sauce in an air-tight, resealable container and label and date the contents.
