My Sister's Famous (well we love it) Tartar Sauce
Share
- ✉
-
Author Notes: Over the past several years my sister has made herself the queen of sauces. Her salsas, be they red or green, are incomparable. But in my mind, it is her simply heavenly tartar sauce that has earned her that crown.
Her original formula calls for fine diced yellow onions. For those fortunate enough to find themselves among spring ramps, please substitute them in equal quantity for the onions. Trim and slice them on a pretty, thin diagonal, and be sure to include some of the beautiful, tender green. As for the dill, snip some of the first tender fronds, and also chop up some of those lovely, soft stems. - boulangere
Makes 2 1/2 cups
- 2 cups mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup first sprout dill fronds and stems, fine dice
- 1/2 yellow onion, fine dice; don't use red onion because it will turn the sauce pink and people will find that, and you, strange
- OR
- 1/2 cup spring ramps, sliced 1/4" thick on the diagonal, some of the tender greens included
- Zest of 1 lemon, microplaned
- Juice of one lemon, strained
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Into a stainless steel or glass or pottery mixing bowl, measure mayonnaise, minced dill fronds and tender early stems, and onion or ramps. Use a fine microplane to zest the lemon right into the bowl. Place a fine mesh strainer over a measuring cup or small bowl and ream the lemon to strain out seeds and pulp. Press the pulp with the back of a spoon to extract more juice. Pour into the rest of the sauce.
- Whisk all ingredients together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve with your favorite grilled fish, fish sandwiches, or fish/crab/shrimp cakes in or out of a sandwich. Damn good to dip a grilled ham and cheese sandwich into. Also on fish tacos, and please don't tell me that's heresy.
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Spring Vegetable Recipe
Tags: dill, lemon, onion, ramps, tartar sauce
More Great Recipes
Share a Recipe
Enter one of our contests, or share that great thing you made for dinner last night.
Add a Recipe
almost 2 years ago Midge
I made this the other night using pickled ramps and chopped shallot and we slathered it on soft shell crab sandwiches. Insanely good!
almost 2 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Pickled ramps! And shallots, love it! Insanely envy you those soft-shell crabs.
about 2 years ago VanessaS
Yum, love the idea of having this with grilled ham and cheese!
about 2 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Oh try it! One of my favorite Saturday afternoon lunches.
about 2 years ago ChefJune
a departure from the classic, but sounds awfully good. However, how is this a "spring vegetable" dish?
confused.
about 2 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Work in progress - have till midnight.
about 2 years ago inpatskitchen
Love this!!
about 2 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Seriously good with grilled ham & cheese.
about 2 years ago Midge
So glad you posted this! Sounds great.
about 2 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
It was fantastic with your crab cakes.
about 2 years ago wssmom
This arrived just in time to accompany the crabcakes this evening! Thanks!
about 2 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Mmmmm!
about 2 years ago lorigoldsby
Love the note about the red onions....we always remember those colorful "mistakes"
about 2 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Haha! Learned the hard way!
about 2 years ago hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour is a trusted home cook.
Yum! I hope you can get her to share her salsa recipes, too.
about 2 years ago boulangere
Cynthia is a trusted source on Bread/Baking.
Hereby requested!