Whenever I cook fish fillet, I serve it with tartar sauce, which I make with mayonnaise, pickle relish, chopped onions and some seasonings.

Lately, however, tartar sauce has become boring and predictable. Searching for a substitute, I remembered the French sauce rémoulade, which I’ve occasionally enjoyed in some restaurants.

Like tartar sauce, rémoulade has a mayonnaise base. The difference is that rémoulade is spiked with more seasonings and condiments, such as Dijon mustard, parsley, paprika and capers. It’s, therefore, more complex and more textured, less boring and more interesting to the palate.

Some rémoulade recipes call for the addition of horseradish, to give the sauce some kick. However, horseradish is not so easily available. Hence the recipe should just acquire its kick from the other ingredients. A few drops of hot pepper sauce, for instance, can really add panache to the dish.

Because Filipino taste leans more toward the sweet, I’ve added 2 Tbsp of sugar to this recipe. This is not so much to sweeten the sauce as to counteract the sourness of the other ingredients (lemon, pickles) and to balance the flavors.

Make sure to chill the rémoulade before serving—as a dipping sauce for fried seafood such as calamari, fish fillet and crab cakes. It’s also good with potato chips, tortilla chips and French fries. Store any leftover in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator.

Chill this mayonnaise-based sauce before serving.

Rémoulade Sauce

1 ½ cups mayonnaise

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

1 Tbsp pickle relish, well drained

1 Tbsp chopped capers

2 Tbsp chopped spring onions

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp paprika

2 Tbsp sugar

Salt and pepper, to taste

Few drops hot pepper sauce such as Tabasco or Mama Sita labuyo hot sauce, or to taste (optional)

In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise then add the rest of the ingredients. Continue whisking until well blended. Chill well then transfer to a serving dish.

Serving suggestions: Serve as a dip for calamari, fish fillet, breaded shrimps, potato chips and French fries. You can also use this as a dressing for egg salad.