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Sauces for Seafood

Note:  See also  Yogurt Sauces and Salmon Dishes.

1.  Tartar Sauce

Sources:    Parade Magazine and Mystic Seaport's Seafood Secrets Cookbook

1 cp mayonnaise
1 t Dijon mustard (optional)
1 t finely grated lemon zest
1 T fresh lemon juice
Tabasco sauce to taste

2 T  gherkins, finely chopped
2 T parsley, chopped
2 T shallots or onion, finely minced
1 T capers, drained and rinsed
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Combine mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest and juice, Tabasco and relish in a bowl.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour before serving for
flavors to blend. Will store up to 3 days, refrigerated.

2.  Seafood Sauce

Note:  Mystic Seaport's Seafood Secrets includes sweet pickle relish, mayonnaise, chives, and  hardboiled eggs.  Enough for 2 shrimp cocktails, but not enough for a dipping sauce for batter-baked fish and chips.   

1/2    cp chili sauce
1        T horseradish
1        t Worcestershire sauce
1        T lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4     cp finely chopped celery
Tabasco  or other hot sauce to taste

Combine all ingredients.

3.  Grainy Mustard Sauce

1 cp sour cream
1/4 cp white wine
3 T whole grain mustard
salt and pepper to taste

4.  Sorrel Cream Sauce

Note: For richer sauce, use heavy cream or creme fraiche instead of milk mixture.   This cook prefers the recipe in  Brooklyn Botanic Garden Record , Herbs and Cooking, 1990.  Martha Stewart strains the creamed mixture with a fine sieve before adding sorrel. Some recipes include 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard.  Serve on cod, haddock, whiting, turbot, sole, or other firm white fish filet.

1/2 cp white wine vinegar
1/2 cp milk + 2 T yogurt, blended,  or 1/2 cp  olive oil
3 T lemon juice
2 t dry mustard

2-3 cp sorrel or more to taste, sliced in chiffonade
1 T unsalted butter

1.   Rinse sorrel; trim off and discard any coarse stems.
2.   Chop enough leaves to make 2 Tablespoons.  Set aside.
3.   Wrap remaining sorrel leaves in paper towels, enclose in plastic bag and chill in
     refrigerator to crisp.
4.   In food processor or blender, combine reserved sorrel leaves, vinegar, dry mustard and
     sugar.  Process til mixture is a puree. 
5.   With motor running, slowly add oil through the feed tube and process til well blended.

5. Sherry Creme Sauce

Note: The recipe is from Lean and Luscious by Bobbie Hinman and Millie Snyder. They paved the way for low-fat, low-cholesterol cooking. The sauce is spooned over sole or flounder and baked uncovered for 30 minutes at 350. The sauce could be made separately and served over cooked fish or chicken.

1. Melt margarine in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat.

2. Stir in flour, then gradually add milk.

3. Add remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce comes to a boil.

4. Remove from heat.