Give Fish Sandwiches A Flavorful Kick With One Cup Of This Ingredient In The Tartar Sauce

Tartar sauce is the irreplaceable heart of a great fish sandwich. It may not be the main star, but it's certainly part of the reason why you stay along for the show, one tangy rich bite after another. Beyond that, this classic condiment also serves as a flavor shortcut to better, more enticing fish sandwiches. You'd only need to jazz it up with the right ingredient, starting with pickled jalapeños.

All that time sitting in the brine really does wonders for jalapeños as their natural grassy taste deepens into a refined acidity, cutting through the tartar sauce's creamy base. Meanwhile, spicy, sweet, and aromatic nuances dance in the undertone, infusing the sauce with an intricate complexity. A little bit of heat here, some earthy brightness there, and a few different tangy notes shifting around, this version of tartar sauce is how you bring an ordinary fish sandwich to life.

Needless to say, if you've already got store-bought jarred jalapeños sitting around in the pantry, this twist is as simple as mixing them along with other tartar staples. Otherwise, pickle your own jalapeños at least a few days in advance for the flavors to fully develop. If preferred, you can also include a small amount of brine to intensify the sauce's tangy tone. Of course, you wouldn't want to taste only pickled jalapeños in a simple tartar sauce, so it's best to limit it to around one diced cup for every cup of mayonnaise when you're building the sauce from scratch.

Other than familiar ingredients, such as lemon juice, fresh herbs, and dill pickles, there's still room in your tartar sauce for more. Leaning into the pickled jalapeños' subtle heat, other pickled hot peppers like serrano, pepperoncini, or habanero are all great options. Don't overlook a good sauce, either. You might be blown away by just how well Tabasco goes with this pepper's mild spice, or the way Worcestershire plays right into the tartar sauce's own tangy kick.

That being said, spiciness isn't the only way to complement those pickled jalapeños. Tap into their briny brightness instead with a bit of capers, or use horseradish to inspire a sharp flavor kick. A peppery sweetness, on the other hand, can be found in spoonfuls of red onions. Blended straight into the sauce, avocado and its nutty, creamy taste can be a great way to balance out the jalapeños' occasional sharpness.

Given the many ways to use tartar sauce beyond fish, you can always consider these alterations for more than just the typical fish sandwich. Pickled jalapeños are a long-time staple in Mexican cuisine, so shrimp or fish tacos make perfect sense. While you're at it, mix a bit of chipotles in adobo sauce or ground peppers into the sauce for more piquancy. You also can't go wrong with crab cakes and pickled jalapeños tartar sauce on the side. You can also adapt this sauce to Cajun cuisine, in which drizzles of tartar sauce greatly elevate a seafood po'boy sandwich. The filling might include deep-fried catfish, grilled tilapia fish, or just some good ole' shrimp.