Tartar sauce

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with cream of tartar.

Chicken with tartar sauce

Tartare sauce (or Tartar sauce; US spelling) is a thick white sauce made from mayonnaise and finely chopped pickled cucumber, capers, onions (or chives), and fresh parsley. Chopped hard-boiled eggs, olives, and horseradish are sometimes added, and dijon mustard is often used as an emulsifier. It is frequently used to season fried seafood dishes. It can also be made by mixing commercially produced relish and mayonnaise. Vinegar can be added for a sharper flavor. The sauce is typically of a rough consistency.

It can be served with meals such as Fish dishes.

Other typical variants^{[citation needed]} contain Worcestershire sauce, red pepper sauce, lemon juice, or black pepper.

The sauce was invented by the French, who served it as a condiment for steak tartare. As such, the name derives from tartare, which derives its name from the Tatars, a Turkic people who live primarily in Russia. While commonly spelled "tartar" in Canada and the USA, it is spelled "tartare" in France, most European countries, as well as India, Australia, New Zealand and other Commonwealth countries. This is based on the original French phrase sauce tartare - the alternate spelling 'Tartar' is used almost exclusively in North America.