Sauce, tartar, ready-to-serve

Tartar sauce is a creamy, mayonnaise-based condiment studded with chopped pickles or relish, capers, and a touch of onion or lemon, built specifically to cut through the richness of fried fish. It's the standard accompaniment for fish and chips, fried shrimp, crab cakes, and fish sandwiches, and it also works as a sandwich spread in place of plain mayonnaise when a tangier, herbier flavor is wanted, or as a dip for fried vegetables like zucchini or onion rings. Some cooks stir a spoonful into egg salad or potato salad for extra tang and crunch.

Store opened tartar sauce tightly sealed in the refrigerator, since its mayonnaise base makes it perishable at room temperature. A typical serving is about 2 tablespoons (30 g), and per 100 g it carries 211 calories and 16.7 g of fat, figures that add up quickly since it's often spooned on generously alongside fried food. Its notable nutrient is vitamin E at 11% DV per 100 g, coming from the oil base, while sodium runs to 667 mg per 100 g, worth factoring in if the rest of the plate, like fried fish or fries, is already salty. With only 1 g of protein per 100 g, it's a condiment for flavor rather than a meaningful source of any single nutrient beyond that vitamin E.