Brielle's Avalon

Fresh home-made Tartar Sauce

I just found out that many people don’t know how to make tartar sauce. Sure, malt vinegar is really all you need on fish, but there are times when you just want all that thick, lumpy, decadent numminess. So here it is. And I’ve added a bonus at the bottom of the article.

I’m just making this for me, so you can make a bigger batch if you want. Everything is estimated and to-taste, as home-fixins should be.

Just the basics

Toss a forkful (or 2) of sweet pickle relish in a small bowl. Add 2 or 3 forkfuls of mayonnaise. Mix. That’s the basic no-nonsense sauce.

Dressed up with options

Optional dress-up ingredients: a dash of cream of tartar, a couple turns of fresh grated pepper, a dash of garlic powder, celery seed, finely chopped celery, finely chopped parsley, finely chopped cilantro, finely chopped borage, finely chopped onion(white/yellow/purple/green/chives), a squirt of mustard, a touch of horseradish, lemon juice (fresh if you have it, from a little plastic thing you keep in your fridge for non-seasonal lemon emergencies), malt vinegar, balsamic vinegar (makes it darker, but oh, so yum!), cider vinegar.

A garnish is nice, whether you’re making it for yourself or a buffet table. Options for garnishes may include, but not be limited to: parsley, cilantro, borage, borage flowers (if your borage is in bloom), lemon twist, or anything edible that you think looks nice.

Serve with fish, french fries, tater tots, sandwiches, whatever you like.

Simple addition for a whole new sauce

Secret sauce, AKA 1000 island dressing

Remember that secret sauce at the burger joint? It was Thousand island Dressing. To make that just add ketchup to your tartar sauce. Good on fish, fries, tots, sandwiches and salads.