Sauce Tartare — Mayonnaise with Pickles, Capers, and Herbs

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Tartare sauce in its proper French form is a handmade mayonnaise enriched with a precise brunoise of cornichons, nonpareil capers, fine herbs, and sometimes a whisper of anchovy. It bears no resemblance to the sweet, relish-laden commercial product. The base is a standard mayonnaise — raw egg yolk, Dijon mustard, a thread of neutral oil whisked to emulsion, finished with white wine vinegar or lemon juice. The garnish is folded in at the end, never blended: cornichons in 2mm brunoise, capers left whole if nonpareil or roughly chopped if larger, chives cut to 3mm batons, chervil and tarragon in fine chiffonade. The ratio of garnish to mayonnaise is generous — tartare should look loaded, not plain. The sauce is traditionally served with fried fish, but it also partners excellently with cold shellfish, crab cakes, and vegetable fritters. The acidity should be pronounced — tartare is meant to cut through the richness of fried foods. A good tartare tastes of pickles, herbs, and mustard before it tastes of oil. The mayonnaise base should be firm enough to hold its shape on a plate but not so stiff it clumps. Hold at 4°C and serve within 4 hours of preparation. The sauce should never be heated.

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