Let’s look at one of the leading brands of store bought tartar sauce and see what’s in it:
● Soybean Oil
● Vinegar
● Chopped Pickles
● Egg Yolks
● Salt
● Sugar
● Artificial Flavor
● Natural Flavor
● “Spice”
That’s a pretty big no-go for Paleo eaters. Soybean oil is just not good for you, especially the low quality kind that’s surely used to mass produce this sauce, and it’s the main ingredient!
Follow that up with industrial grade vinegar, chopped pickles sourced from the lowest bidder, industrial grade salt and sugar, artificial flavors, natural flavors (which usually means MSG), and the mysterious “spice” which also is a Big Food code word for MSG. All of this is just a big mess, and even though it may not seem like much since you’re just dunking your fish in it, it’s foreign substances that the body just doesn’t know what to do with.
Instead, nourish yourself even further with my tartar sauce that is made with olive oil, a free-range organic egg, high-quality Dijon mustard, chopped pickles, capers, and some black pepper. Nothing artificial about that!
Maybe you think that condiments are no big deal and you can eat a Paleo meal and accentuate it with store bought add-ons. The only problem is that you’re missing out on the benefits that lie in the details. Going fully Paleo is a much better way to go, and allows the body to reset and purge itself from all of the junk fed to us by the food industry. It’s a way of taking matters into our own hands and making real food from real ingredients, with full transparency.
Not only that, but once you try a batch of this homemade tartar sauce you won’t want to go back to the bottle again. There’s just no comparing the two, and it’s easy to see why. Store bought tartar sauce is made to sit on the shelf for months and months before it finally sells. Therefore it must have preservatives added or else it would go bad. Preparing it fresh means you’re eating it on the day it was made, which is really an unfair advantage over the brand name stuff.
There’s also a sense of pride that comes from making your own food, right down to the condiments. Instead of having a bit of guilt from eating questionable food, you know the entire meal is good for you, providing your body with essential nutrients it needs to flourish. Healthy fat from olive oil and minerals from the egg move you forward towards your goals.
So enjoy this tartar sauce in good health. Try it with our amazing fish and chips and you’ll be hooked.
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- ¾ cup olive or avocado oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp whole grain Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp salt
- 6 tbsp chopped pickles or cornichons
- 1 tbsp capers, chopped
- ½ tsp dried dill (optional)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Directions
- To make the mayo, in a jar of immersion blender add the egg, salt and lemon juice and ¼ cup of oil. Press the immersion blender to the bottom of the jar and turn on. Pulse for 30 seconds without moving the blender.
- Add the rest of oil and slowly move the blender up and down until the mixture thickens.
- Add the rest of ingredients in a jar and mix well with a spoon or a silicon spatula. Adjust the taste with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve immediately or transfer in an airtight container and store in the fridge until needed.
I make my own and use lacto-fermented pickles. Absolutely outrageous.
This was so good! I didn’t have capers but the sauce turned out amazing without them…even better the second day. I used a sweet “Yum Yum” pickle and lots of dill. Great recipe!