Tartar sauce – the perfect addition to meat and seafood

Sauces and gravies can transform any dish, even the most familiar and everyday food. If you want to add unusual flavor notes to meat or fish, tartar sauce is the perfect choice. It was invented in France in the 19th century and named after the Tatars, who were once considered barbarians but were well known for their love of hearty and flavorful food.

This classic tartar sauce has a distinctive piquant taste and a delicate aroma. It pairs perfectly with pork, chicken, river or sea fish, and a wide variety of seafood. Vegans and vegetarians also enjoy tartar sauce with baked potatoes, boiled soybeans, beans, and even grains such as bulgur, rice, or quinoa.

Tartar sauce is traditionally made with mayonnaise, which is best prepared at home using high-quality, fresh ingredients. The ideal base is cold-pressed unrefined vegetable oils that have not undergone chemical or heat processing. These oils are rich in vitamins, minerals, micro- and macroelements, as well as omega fatty acids essential for healthy metabolism and overall well-being.

The choice of oil directly affects the flavor and aroma of both mayonnaise and tartar sauce. Fans of spicy and bold sauces should opt for cold-pressed mustard oil or caraway oil, while those who prefer a mild, harmonious taste may choose camelina oil, sunflower oil, or corn oil.

TM CraftOil offers a wide and regularly expanding range of artisan cold-pressed oils made from environmentally friendly raw materials using proprietary presses. Our oils are 100% natural, raw and unrefined products, ideal for preparing sauces, marinades, frying, stewing, and other culinary purposes.

Visit our website to explore the full product range — we guarantee you won’t leave without a healthy and valuable purchase.

Ingredients

To make classic tartar sauce, you will need:

• 100 g vegetable oil;
• 1 egg;
• ½ tsp salt;
• 1 tsp lemon juice;
• 1 tsp sugar;
• 1 tsp vinegar;
• 1 tsp mustard (or ½ tsp mustard powder);
• 2 pickled (or salted) cucumbers;
• 5–7 sprigs of fresh dill;

Step-by-step preparation

Blend the egg, vegetable oil, salt, sugar, and lemon juice in a blender until a thick, smooth, pale mayonnaise forms.

Add vinegar and mustard, then blend again until fully combined. Wash the dill, pat it dry with a kitchen towel, and finely chop it.

Remove the cucumbers from the brine, rinse under running water, then grate them or chop them in a blender. In a sauce bowl or suitable container, combine the mayonnaise base with the chopped dill and cucumbers. Mix thoroughly.

Refrigerate the sauce for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. After that, the tartar sauce is ready to serve.

Notes:

Mustard powder for tartar sauce and other homemade sauces can be ordered from CraftOil, a Ukrainian store specializing in organic products and reliable equipment for oil production.