Tartar Sauce

Updated June 6, 2024

Total Time
5 minutes
Rating
5(221)
Comments
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A classic tartar sauce is a welcome addition to any cook’s repertoire. Garlic, shallot, capers, tart cornichons with their juices are blended together with mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon and parsley. It’s ready in minutes, and a pleasing side for just about any fish dish. —Gabrielle Hamilton

Featured in: Eat, Memory; Line of Sight

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Ingredients

  • 1clove garlic
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1shallot, roughly chopped
  • 2tablespoons capers
  • 2tablespoons roughly chopped cornichons with their juice
  • ½cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • ½cup sour cream
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 1tablespoon chopped parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

216 calories; 22 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 215 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a food processor, purée the garlic and salt. Add shallot, capers, cornichons and their juices and pulse a few times. Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice and parsley, and pulse. Season with salt and pepper.

Ratings

5 out of 5
221 user ratings
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Comments

I always add some dried tarragon to tartar sauce, which I've noticed other cooks do as well. As for this recipe, I would exclude the garlic. I love garlic, but I think it's a bit de trop here. Also, why not leave out the sour cream and slightly increase the quantity of mayonnaise? This is one recipe that works well with sweetened commercial mayo like Hellman's, which I usually avoid.

Fresh tarragon is an essential ingredient.

Thanks for the tip -- I didn't have Hellman's, so I added a very small amount of turbinado sugar, and fresh tarragon. The sugar did mellow the flavor.

More like tartar soup. Ditch the sour cream and only use 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Garlic? Nope.

Not a massive Mayo fan so the sour cream is a tangy winner here… rinse your salty capers or drain the brined ones … fantastic recipe reminds me of cape cod and Anthony Bourdain

Way too salty, especially if the cornichon juice is added as well. I added more sour cream to mellow out the saltiness (the full fat balkan kind, that is just fermented cream with no bulking agents or preservatives). Next time I'll leave out the salt entirely and season with caper and cornichon juice instead.

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Credits

Adapted from Prune

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