Jalapeno Tartar Sauce

This isn’t jarred mayo with some relish stirred in. You’re making real mayonnaise from scratch in a food processor, then spiking it with chopped jalapeno and dill pickle. The result is a tartar sauce with a creamy richness and a slow burn that store-bought can’t come close to.

Two egg yolks and a tablespoon of Dijon mustard go into the processor first. The mustard acts as an emulsifier, helping the oil and yolks bind together into a stable, thick mayo. Then the oil goes in slowly. Very slowly. A thin, steady stream while the machine runs is how you build a proper emulsion. Dump it in too fast and the whole thing breaks into a greasy, separated mess.

A blend of olive oil and peanut oil gives you the best of both worlds: flavor from the olive oil and a neutral, clean base from the peanut oil. All olive oil would taste too grassy and strong for a tartar sauce.

Once the mayo is thick and emulsified (about 2-3 minutes), pulse in lemon juice, salt, pepper, chopped dill pickle, and a seeded, finely chopped jalapeno. The heat is moderate with one pepper. Add a second if you want real fire.

Chef Tips

• Have all ingredients at room temperature. Cold eggs and oil are harder to emulsify.
• Add the oil in a hair-thin stream for the first ¼ cup, then you can speed up slightly once the emulsion takes hold.
• This uses raw egg yolks. Use the freshest eggs you can find, and keep the sauce refrigerated.

Variations

• Chipotle tartar sauce: Replace the fresh jalapeno with a minced chipotle pepper in adobo for a smoky kick.
• Caper version: Add a tablespoon of chopped capers for a briny, Mediterranean twist.