The Best Type Of Relish For Your Homemade Tartar Sauce

If you didn't grow up on a coast, where seafood is always ripe for the picking, tartar sauce may be something of a mystery to you. What is the creamy white concoction, and what does it taste like? The mayo-based condiment is a staple for fried seafood lovers who typically use the tangy sauce for dipping golden brown fish, fried oysters, or clam strips. An easy tartar sauce recipe includes mayonnaise, lemon juice, chopped pickles or relish, and seasonings. If you're interested in whipping up this tasty sauce for your next fish fry, chef John Politte of It's Only Food, and host of the YouTube cooking show "It's Only Food w/John Politte," says that the type of relish or pickle that you add to the mix could make or break your sauce. 

"The wrong combination of pickle profile with seafood can have a negative taste appeal," Politte told Mashed in an exclusive interview. "You want the sauce to complement the dish (in this case seafood), but also have a contrarian flavor profile to balance the dish." In the case of tartar sauce, Politte says dill relish makes for the perfect pairing.

In the world of relish, you can go one of two ways. There's sweet relish, which combines chopped pickles with heavy amounts of sugar and warming flavors like clove, and then there's dill relish, which is more acidic and herbaceous, with dill bringing out a much brighter flavor. "I think that dill relish is the best relish for any sauce for seafood," chef John Politte told Mashed, adding, "Sweet relish doesn't pair well with seafood, in my opinion." That's because the more acidic dill relish cuts through the fat of the fish fry to bring more balance to the dish.

While dill relish may be best for condiments designed with seafood in mind, Politte admits that sweet relish does have its place. He recommends adding a little sweet relish to your deviled egg filling or incorporating it into your favorite potato salad recipe. In fact, you can even make a tartar sauce with sweet relish that would be the perfect accompaniment for french fries or grilled veggies. For more saucy condiment tips from Politte, check out his playlist "Fast Food Sauces" on YouTube where he shows viewers how to make versions of their favorite fast food sauces at home.