Remoulade
A cold sauce with French origins and global variations.
Remoulade is a cold sauce that resembles tartar sauce but tends to be more yellow in color, sometimes gets its flavor from curry, and usually includes chopped pickles or piccalilli. It may also contain horseradish, paprika, anchovies, capers, and various other ingredients. This sauce is commonly used as a condiment or dipping sauce, especially for sole, plaice, and seafood cakes like crab or salmon cakes, though it can also accompany meats.
In French cuisine, remoulade is a mayonnaise-based sauce with mixed herbs such as parsley, chives, chervil, and tarragon, plus capers, diced cornichons, and sometimes anchovy essence or chopped anchovies. It is made from mayonnaise with vinegar, mustard, shallots, capers, chopped pickles, and fresh herbs. A common use is with céleri remoulade, a mustard-flavored version served with shredded raw celeriac, and it often accompanies red meats, fish, and shellfish. The remoulade used for céleri-rave remoulade differs, being a simple mustard-flavored vinegar and oil dressing with salt, pepper, and chopped green herbs.
In Louisiana Creole cuisine, remoulade often has a tannish or pink tint from Creole mustard, small amounts of ketchup, cayenne pepper, and paprika. Styles include French-African Creole, Afro-Caribbean Creole, and Cajun, each distinct from the French original. Creole versions are typically tan or pink and piquant, often containing finely chopped green onions, celery, and parsley, and made with Creole or stone-ground mustard, plus salt, black pepper, and cayenne. In oil- and mayonnaise-based versions, the reddish hue comes from ketchup or paprika, and the sauce is often topped with paprika for appearance and flavor. Lemon juice or vinegar add acidity, and other additions can include hard-boiled or raw egg yolks, minced garlic, hot sauce, vinegar, horseradish, capers, cornichons, and Worcestershire sauce. Today, shrimp remoulade is a common cold appetizer in New Orleans Creole restaurants, though historically hard-boiled eggs with remoulade were a cheaper menu option. Shrimp remoulade is usually served alone on a chiffonade of iceberg lettuce, and crawfish remoulade also appears, but remoulade is rarely offered with fish, where cocktail and tartar sauces are preferred. Food columnist Leon Soniat suggests serving it over seafood or with sliced asparagus.
Quick Facts
- Country
- France
- Region
- Worldwide
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
In French cuisine, remoulade is a derivative of mayonnaise, with added mixed herbs (parsley, chives, chervil, tarragon), capers, diced cornichons, and optionally anchovy essence or chopped anchovies. It is made from mayonnaise with vinegar, mustard, shallots, capers, chopped pickles, and/or fresh herbs. It is commonly served as céleri remoulade, a mustard-flavored variation with shredded raw celeriac, and as a condiment for red meats, fish, and shellfish. The remoulade used in céleri-rave remoulade is based on a simple mustard-flavored vinegar and oil dressing spiced with salt, pepper, and chopped green herbs.
In Louisiana Creole cuisine, remoulade tends to have a tannish or pink tint due to Creole mustard, small amounts of ketchup, cayenne pepper, and paprika. Styles include French-African Creole, Afro-Caribbean Creole, and Cajun, each different from the French original. Creole versions often have finely chopped vegetables (green onions, celery, parsley) and are made with Creole or stone-ground mustard. Salt, black pepper, and cayenne are standard. The reddish hue often comes from ketchup or paprika. Other additions include hard-boiled egg or raw egg yolks, minced garlic, hot sauce, vinegar, horseradish, capers, cornichons, and Worcestershire sauce. Shrimp remoulade is a common cold appetizer in New Orleans Creole restaurants, though historically hard-boiled eggs with remoulade were a less expensive option.
In Iceland, remúlaði is a condiment commonly served with fried fish and on hot dogs, together with mustard, ketchup, and raw and fried onions.
Reader's Guide
Remoulade is significant as a versatile cold sauce that has evolved distinct regional identities while retaining its core as a mayonnaise-based condiment. In French cuisine, it is a classic accompaniment to celeriac and seafood, demonstrating the French tradition of herb- and pickle-enhanced sauces. The Louisiana Creole variants illustrate the fusion of French culinary techniques with local ingredients like Creole mustard and cayenne, resulting in a piquant sauce that is a hallmark of New Orleans appetizers, particularly shrimp remoulade. The Icelandic version shows how the sauce adapted to local tastes, becoming a standard topping for hot dogs and fried fish. The article notes that in New Orleans, remoulade is seldom offered with fish in restaurants, where cocktail sauce and tartar sauce are preferred, yet food columnist Leon Soniat suggests serving it over seafood or with sliced asparagus. The sauce's ability to incorporate a wide range of ingredients—from herbs and pickles to horseradish and Worcestershire sauce—makes it a flexible condiment that reflects the culinary creativity of each region. Its presence in multiple cuisines underscores its global appeal and adaptability.
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