American Tartar Sauce
The Quirky Foodster Team
Ingredients
- Mayonnaise — 200 g (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp)
- Sweet pickle relish — 40 g (2.5 tbsp)
- Onion, finely minced — 2 tbsp
- Fresh lemon juice — 10 ml (2 tsp)
- Fresh dill, chopped (optional) — 5 g (1 tsp)
- Salt and pepper — to taste
Method
- Combine mayonnaise and sweet pickle relish in a mixing bowl.
- Stir in minced onion.
- Add lemon juice and dill if using.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Chill at least 15 minutes before serving to let flavours meld.
Cultural Background: A mayonnaise-based sauce studded with pickles and capers, American tartar sauce evolved from its French namesake into a distinctly sweeter, relish-forward condiment, now the standard accompaniment to fried fish and fish and chips across the United States.
Tips: • Sweet pickle relish (rather than plain chopped pickles) gives the characteristic sweeter American flavour profile. • Draining excess liquid from the relish before adding prevents a watery sauce.
Variations: • Use dill pickle relish instead of sweet for a tangier, less sweet version. • Add a spoonful of capers for extra briny complexity.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 week.
Reheating: Not applicable; served cold. Nutrition (per serving) Approx. 90 kcal, 0.2 g protein, 9.5 g fat, 1.5 g carbohydrate per 15 ml serving.
FAQs: What is American tartar sauce traditionally served with? Fried fish, fish and chips, and other fried seafood. How is it different from British tartare sauce? American tartar sauce is typically sweeter, built on sweet pickle relish rather than the capers and gherkins more common in the British version.
- Mayonnaise — 200 g (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp)
- Sweet pickle relish — 40 g (2.5 tbsp)
- Onion, finely minced — 2 tbsp
- Fresh lemon juice — 10 ml (2 tsp)
- Fresh dill, chopped (optional) — 5 g (1 tsp)
- Salt and pepper — to taste
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