Classic Tartar Sauce

Name: Classic Tartar Sauce
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 10 minutes
Yield: Makes 2 cups
Ingredients: 1 small shallot, finely chopped; 1 garlic clove, finely grated; 1 cup mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons finely chopped caper berries or capers; 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickles; 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives; 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard; Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper

By Rick Martinez

July 7, 2022

A bowl of creamy tartar sauce with chunks of shallot and pickle and flecks of herb.

Alex Lau

This homemade tartar sauce recipe bears little resemblance to the variety found in small condiment packets served alongside sad fish sticks. It is creamy and loaded with herbs and has just the right amount of briny tang from capers, pickles, and lemon juice. (No store-bought overly sweet pickle relish here.)

You can tweak this easy recipe to suit your tastes or your pantry: Use dill pickles or bread and butter; swap out the parsley for fresh dill, tarragon, or another tender herb, or stir in a little jarred horseradish. The sauce is best made ahead, so the flavors have time to meld. And if you find yourself with leftovers, that's a good thing—the sauce will hold in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a week. While it's a classic pairing for fried seafood dishes like these sea dogs, fried fish sandwiches, or crab cakes, it plays just as nicely with "turf" like Buxton Hall's hushpuppies or french fries and makes an excellent spread or dip for a roasted vegetable sandwich or cold roast chicken.

Recipe notes

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