Most everyone knows tartar sauce as that little packet or plastic cup filled with mayo and maybe pickle relish that you get with some fried clams or fish and chips… or that sauce that comes on a fish sandwich.
It usually doesn’t taste like much beyond the mayo. And usually, it comes from a big cardboard box of packets or a 5 gallon pail that is shoveled into those little plastic cups.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not being a snob about it. I have been known to ask for extra tartar sauce at my favorite fried fish joint and use that stuff like it was the best thing on earth… and at that moment it is.
Recently Lynn and I went out to dinner (I know, yes masks and social distancing). Lynn ordered some fish and it came with the usual version of tartar sauce in a cup. As I sat there chowing it down, yes we share all our food, I asked myself how I would make it at home… and here is what I came up with.
Homemade Tartar Sauce
Difficulty: Easy4
servingsThis recipe will be enough for 4 people if you are serving it on the side as a seafood dipping sauce. I have also eaten it as a chip dip.
Ingredients
1 TBSP Onion (finely chopped)
1 TBSP Celery (finely chopped)
1 TBSP Bread and Butter Pickle (finely chopped also see note)
1 TBSP Fresh Dill (or 1 TSP dried)
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/4 Cup Mayo
1 TSP Lemon Zest
1 TBSP Lemon Juice
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Process
- Chop onion, celery, pickle, and dill. Zest Lemon.
- Combine sour cream and mayo in a bowl.
- Add salt, pepper and lemon juice to bowl.
- Whisk in lemon zest. onion, celery, pickle and dill
- Set aside, refrigerated, for at least 1/2 hour for flavors to meld.
- Leftovers will last for at least 3 to 4 days.
Notes
- I used homemade bread and butter pickles given to me by a friend for this recipe. If you don’t have homemade you can always use either store-bought or even sweet pickle relish. Do not use dill pickles. In my opinion, this recipe needs the sweet!