I need a good Tartar Sauce

[Hopz]

I posted here, because I didn't know if it was sauce, or fish, or general... so here is it.

I am looking for a good tartar sauce.The web a zillion of them, and I have tried many- none have that zing I am looking for.

For those of you in the South, there was a cafeteria called Picadilly. Their sauce was wonderful. There also was Morrison's. Theirs was too.

I have heard that Picadilly's sauce has some chopped up green leaf from fresh cabbage. I have tried it and it gets a little closer, but still something missing.
I often use mayonaise, dill pickles, and/or capers, a little lemon, and sometimes a splash of white balsemic. All pretty good- but still not the one I am looking for.
Hints, allegations, facts, opinions all valued. Thanks in advance.

 

[texasgirl]

I'm not sure of the restaurant that you are talking about, but, that's not a big surprise as I don't go to restaurants often.

All I do to make mine, is mix mayo, white vinegar, sugar and sweet relish to taste. Just if your interested.

 

[Shunka]

Mine is mayo, both dill and sweet relish, finely minced onion, a bit of lemon juice, sometimes a bit of sugar and some horseradish.

 

[Poppinfresh]

No tartar sauce is proper without capers. My tartar sauce is ll it is is mayo, capers, pickles, dill (the herb), chives, parsley and stone ground mustard.

 

[Andy M.]

Tartar Sauce​

1/2 C Mayonnaise
2 Tb Minced Parsley
2 Tb Minced Sweet Pickle Relish
1 Tb Minced onion
1 Tb Minced Celery
1 1/2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Fresh Tarragon (¼ tsp dry)
Pinch Celery Seed
TT Tabasco



Combine the ingredients thoroughly and refrigerate for and hour to allow the flavors to blend.

 

[KAYLINDA]

Is it possible it was made with Miracle Whip rather than mayo? That might be the missing "zing".

 

[ironchef]

You can try my recipe as well and see if it works for you:

Basic Tartar Sauce

Yield: Approx. 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1 c. Mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
2 tsp. Colman's Mustard + cold water
1/3 c. Sweet Onion, finely minced
1/4 c. Dill Pickle, finely minced
2 Tbsp. Capers, rinsed and dried, finely minced
2 Tbsp. Fresh Tarragon, finely minced
2 Tbsp. Italian Parsley, finely minced
1/2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
3 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
Kosher Salt to taste

Method:

In a mixing bowl combine the Colman's mustard and enough water to make a thick paste. Add the mayonnaise and dijon mustard and whisk to combine. Fold in the remaining ingredients. Season to taste with kosher salt, and add more cayenne or lemon juice if needed.

 

[Robo410]

I'm old enough to remember Howard Johnson's Tartar Sauce on their Clam Rolls. Oh that was the BEST!

 

[bevkile]

I can add nothing, with all these fine recipes. It just a matter of choosing and using and what you have on hand. They have given you the basics as well as embellishments. Go for it.

Basic:
mayo
dill relish (my preference)
lemon juice

 

[licia]

I haven't eaten at Picadilly in years so can't remember what their tartar sauce was like. I make mine by using mayo, minced onion, finely chopped dill pickle and a bit of pickle juice to desired consistency. I think it is as good as any I've tasted and I can make it fresh whenever I need it. This thread makes me want some fish, but it won't be tonight. Our neighbors have invited us down for brisket and she won't let me bring anything. I'll have to think of something I can take as a small gift.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Andy's and Iron Chef's have the recipe/flavor that I equate with tartar sauce and are very similar to my own. That added zing is probably the Tarragon. IMHO, it is essential to good tatar sauce, and should not overpower the other flavors, but should stand at the head of the class with the mustard, dill, and relish. Oh, and the mustard must be subtle.

Haven't tried capers in my own sauce. That sounds like a great addition.

Of course, that is my own opinion for my tastes.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[di reston]

My recipe is: 250ml mayonnaise
2 tsp capers
2 dill pickled cucumbers
fresh chopped parsley 1 handful
chopped onion to taste
1 tbsp of the mustard sauce from the picalilli jar ( mustard pickles)
chives.

This has the zing that I like.

di reston

 

[Lance Bushrod]

Mine is simple and still has some zing, anyway it's what I'm used to.

mayo or miracle whip
yellow mustard
dill pickle relish and some extra juice
dried dill
parsley

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons Creole mustard
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

Mix it all together it spells Rémoulade (that's French for tartar sauce!)

 

[RPCookin]

The only necessities are mayo or Miracle Whip and pickles and lemon juice. These are the only things that seem to be included in every recipe, from simple to complex. Lots of other things can be added but they just add polish. While I prefer Miracle whip, the sweet pickle relish adds enough zip to regular mayo that it still works.

Capers are quite unnecessary, all they would really do is add some unneeded (IMO) saltiness to the sauce.

While I love onions in many things, I don't see a need for them in tartar sauce either.

No dill pickle of any sort will ever find its way into any tartar sauce I make. I like dill weed on grilled fish, especially salmon, but never have liked dill pickles or that flavor in anything. I can just live with them on a hamburger if it's served that way, but that's about it.

I've never used mustard in tartar sauce - as I sit here sort of rolling the flavor around in my mind, I don't think that it would be necessary or even desirable for me. If used, then use very sparingly as it's another of those overpowering flavors.

It seems that most of those add-ons are included in the dill recipe versions, maybe because the dill relish lacks zing on its own, and needs embellishment, while the sweet pickle sauces can stand alone without.

After reading nearly a dozen recipes online just out of curiosity before posting this, none add my favorite extra ingredient, which is chopped pickled jalapeños. I don't always add them, but this is my only diversion from the basic 3 ingredients at the top of this post. This version is great on a fish sandwich.

 

[GotGarlic]

No dill pickle of any sort will ever find its way into any tartar sauce I make. I like dill weed on grilled fish, especially salmon, but never have liked dill pickles or that flavor in anything. I can just live with them on a hamburger if it's served that way, but that's about it.
...
It seems like most of those add-ons are included in the dill recipe versions, maybe because the dill relish lacks zing on its own, and needs embellishment, while the sweet pickle sauces can stand alone without.

There's no accounting for taste I'm exactly the opposite. I love dill pickles, don't really want a hamburger if they're not available, and it's the only kind I use in tartar sauce. DH likes bread and butter pickles, which are too sweet for me (read: not zingy), so I tolerate them in the fridge, but not on my plate

I do agree about the mayo (no MW!), pickles and lemon juice for tartar sauce, though. Simple is best in that case.

 

[Cheryl J]

I had never heard of mustard in a tartar sauce before this thread, but that just goes to show there are as many variations and likes in tartar sauces as the day is long.

I could go with dill relish, but prefer sweet. Onions, I could do without. I almost always have parsley and use it in a lot of things because I think it's pretty. I got curious and browsed through maybe a dozen or so recipes online. Some call for mustard, but many didn't - I was surprised to see hard cooked eggs as an ingredient in several. That sounds odd to me, but to each their own.

When it comes right down to it, all I really need for tartar sauce is mayo, some kind of pickles or relish, and lemon juice.

I've been craving fish 'n chips since I opened this thread this morning.

 

[JustJoel]

Mom-in-law’s basic tartar

A few months ago, I became, well, not obsessed, but very fond of oven-fried fish. I hate store-bought tartar sauce, though. Rose gave me a great basic sauce that can be adapted to almost anything. It’s hardly even a recipe!

One medium sweet onion, finely diced
One quality kosher dill pickle, finely diced
1/4 sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Mix the diced pickle and onion in a bowl. I suggest adding the sour cream and mayo a tablespoon at a time, until it’s the consistency you like.

That’s it. From there, you can pretty much add anything you want. A lot of people like to add capers, it seems. So do I! And then some shredded nova lox and some lemon zest, and voila! The most amazing shmear for bagels!

I like this because it’s basic, adaptable, and very flavorful.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

Tartar Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 cup olive oil Miracle Whip
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 3 Tbs sweet pickle relish
• 2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbs flat leafed parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbs capers
• ¼ tsp hot sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl and chill.

 

[CraigC]

A few months ago, I became, well, not obsessed, but very fond of oven-fried fish. I hate store-bought tartar sauce, though. Rose gave me a great basic sauce that can be adapted to almost anything. It’s hardly even a recipe!

One medium sweet onion, finely diced
One quality kosher dill pickle, finely diced
1/4 sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Mix the diced pickle and onion in a bowl. I suggest adding the sour cream and mayo a tablespoon at a time, until it’s the consistency you like.

That’s it. From there, you can pretty much add anything you want. A lot of people like to add capers, it seems. So do I! And then some shredded nova lox and some lemon zest, and voila! The most amazing shmear for bagels!

I like this because it’s basic, adaptable, and very flavorful.

Short memory? I gave you a recipe for roasted garlic tartar sauce.