Remoulade Sauce | Description, Origins, Varieties, & Uses (2024)

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remoulade, traditional French sauce made of mayonnaise, mustard, shallots, capers, and herbs, though numerous variations exist.

Remoulade has its origins in Picardy, a region in northern France, deriving its name from a local term for horseradish, rémolat or ramolas, which suggests that horseradish may have once been the major component. As described in a cookbook from the early 1700s, however, the main ingredient used to lend a piquant taste to the mayonnaise base was mustard, although some recipes even to this day call for both horseradish and mustard.

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The sauce is typically used to season seafood in French cuisine. Many variations have developed. Throughout Scandinavia, remoulade is used on beef and poultry as well as fish; the usual recipe for the Scandinavian variant includes turmeric or curry, which gives the sauce a light yellow colour. In New Orleans, Louisiana, where a local variant emerged in the early 1900s, remoulade often makes use of Tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper. It is used to season crab cakes, crawfish, other seafood, vegetables, and eggs. Some recipes substitute olive oil for mayonnaise. Remoulade is also a standard component of the po’ boy sandwich, a standard of New Orleans cuisine.

Classic French remoulade resembles tartar sauce in both its ingredients and uses, but there are some important differences: tartar sauce uses herbs sparingly, while remoulade makes liberal use of tarragon, chervil, and other aromatic herbs. Remoulade uses cornichons, capers, and, traditionally, anchovies to produce a deep savory flavour, while tartar sauce uses sweet gherkins for a sweet taste. Remoulade is in the same culinary domain as aioli. Classic aioli is a mixture of garlic and olive oil, but the term is sometimes used for garlic mayonnaise, which has fewer ingredients than the more elaborate remoulade.

Gregory Lewis McNamee

Remoulade Sauce | Description, Origins, Varieties, & Uses (2024)

FAQs

What is the origin of remoulade sauce? ›

Remoulade has its origins in Picardy, a region in northern France, deriving its name from a local term for horseradish, rémolat or ramolas, which suggests that horseradish may have once been the major component.

What are the different types of remoulade? ›

Louisiana remoulade can vary from the French-African Creole, the rustic Afro-Caribbean Creole, or the Classic Cajun version, and like the local variants of roux, each version is different from the French original. Creole versions often have tan or pink hues and are usually piquant.

What is the derivation of remoulade? ›

French rémoulade appears to derive from ramolas, a word in the northern dialect of Picardy for 'horseradish' which came ultimately from Latin armoracea (the standard Old French form armoracee was briefly borrowed into English as armorace, 'horseradish' in the fifteenth century).

What's the difference between tartar sauce and remoulade sauce? ›

Tartar sauce has often been described as a type of remoulade, with mustard stepping in for the traditional anchovy. However, tartar sauce usually features fewer components: mayonnaise, chopped capers, and sweeter pickles like cornichons. Remoulade recipes add a wider variety of herbs, along with vinegar or hot sauce.

What is Creole remoulade made of? ›

In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, parsley, hot sauce, whole-grain mustard, garlic, capers, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, scallion, salt, and cayenne pepper. Let sit for 1 hour for flavors to combine, then serve or cover and store in the refrigerator.

What is the origin of the sauce? ›

Sauce is a French word taken from the Latin salsa, meaning salted. Possibly the oldest recorded European sauce is garum, the fish sauce used by the Ancient Romans, while doubanjiang, the Chinese soy bean paste is mentioned in Rites of Zhou in the 3rd century BC.

What do you eat remoulade with? ›

Remoulade sauce is a versatile sauce and can be used as a dipping sauce or as a spread for various dishes. It's a classic accompaniment to seafood dishes like fried shrimp, crab cakes, fried fish, or oysters or you can use it for dipping hush puppies, fried pickles, or french fries.

What's the difference between remoulade and aioli? ›

Both are mayonnaise based. A remoulade has mustard and, usually, capers, so has more bite and texture than an aioli, which is usually flavored with lemon and garlic.

What is similar to remoulade? ›

Classic French remoulade resembles tartar sauce.

What is the meaning of the word remoulade? ›

noun. a cold sauce made with mayonnaise and various condiments and herbs, as chopped pickles, capers, mustard, parsley, chervil, and tarragon.

What is remoulade Merriam Webster? ›

noun. ré·​mou·​lade ˌrā-mə-ˈläd. -mü- variants or remoulade. : a pungent sauce or dressing resembling mayonnaise and usually including savory herbs and condiments.

What is the history of remoulade sauce? ›

Rémoulade sauce is a creole recipe coming from French origins. In 17th century France, the name derived from remolas. This was from the Northern dialect of Picardy meaning horseradish. Picardy, part of Hauts-de-France, is a historical region of northern France.

What is tartar sauce called in England? ›

Tartar sauce (French: sauce tartare; spelled tartare sauce in the UK, Ireland, and Commonwealth countries) is a condiment made of mayonnaise, chopped pickles and relish, caper, and herbs such as tarragon and dill.

Did Utah invented fry sauce? ›

According to local history, fry sauce was created in the late 1940s by Don Carlos Edwards, founder of the Utah-based fast-food chain Arctic Circle. Originally called “pink sauce,” the recipe included ketchup, mayo, garlic, and a mix of other spices to create an instant hit condiment that was perfect for french fries.

Where did Creole sauce originate? ›

Creole sauce, also referred to as "red gravy", creole tomato sauce, and sauce piquant in New Orleans, is a Creole cuisine, Haitian cuisine, and New Orleans cuisine sauce made by sauteeing vegetables in butter and olive oil.

Is fry sauce a Washington thing? ›

Christensen said fry sauce is “unique to Utah,” giving the state a competitive edge. Whether you are from Utah, Washington or North Idaho, fry sauce clearly remains a fan favorite.

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