🍽️ Pub classics · Cold sauces & dressings
Seafood Tartare Sauce
A textured mayonnaise sauce with capers, gherkins and pickled cauliflower to serve alongside freshly fried fish.
Time15 minLevelSee methodMakesFull batch from 10 L mayonnaise; measure after mixing
Illustrative photo: Tartare sauce served with battered fish and chips; the fish and chips are additional. Photo by jeffreyw, licensed under CC BY 2.0. View source. This image illustrates the dish; it is not a photo of a kitchen-tested version of this recipe.
Behind the plate
Batch: Commercial batch.
Equipment: Food processor, Colander, Sanitised mixing container, at least 15 L, Large spoon.
The recipe
Ingredients
- Base:
- 10 L commercial mayonnaise — Prefer a pasteurised product.
- 200 ml lemon juice
- Pickles:
- 500 g capers — Drained weight.
- 1 kg gherkins — Drained weight.
- 500 g pickled cauliflower — Drained weight.
- Seasoning:
- salt and black pepper — To taste.
Method
- 1. Drain and chop: Drain the capers, gherkins and cauliflower thoroughly, then pat off excess moisture. Pulse in the food processor until finely and evenly chopped, retaining a little texture.
- 2. Mix the base: Stir the lemon juice into the mayonnaise in a clean mixing container.
- 3. Fold in the pickles: Fold in the chopped pickles with a large spoon or paddle. Avoid prolonged blending, which removes the intended texture and may thin the sauce.
- 4. Season and chill: Taste before salting, as the pickles and mayonnaise already contain salt. Add pepper if desired. Measure the final yield, pack into clean labelled tubs and refrigerate.
Chef’s notes
- The listed pickle quantities are drained weights, so buy enough to allow for the discarded brine.
- Uniform small pieces make the sauce easier to portion without turning it into a purée.
- Editorial review: The source’s approximately 12 L / 400 portions is not a measured yield.
- Storage: Keep at 0–5°C in clean covered containers. Follow component labels and a validated business shelf life for the mixed sauce; acidity alone does not establish its storage life.
- Conditional allergens: Mayonnaise and pickles may contain mustard and sulphites; check labels. The sauce itself contains no fish in this formula; fish accompanies it separately.
At the table
Serve with the beer-battered cod, fishcakes or a seafood platter.