Tartar Sauce Recipe
While most styles of Japanese fried chicken are double-fried, this version (Nanban translates to foreign, referring to a Portuguese-Spanish influence) is coated in an egg batter, fried once, and then dipped in a sweet-and-sour sauce. The addition of eggs adds a Japanese touch to the homemade tartar sauce.
Now let’s see, how to prepare it.
INGREDIENTS REQUIRED:
For the tare sauce
- ½ cup Sodium-free or Low-sodium Chicken or Vegetable Broth
- ¼ cup Mirin
- ½ cup Soy Sauce
- 2 Tablespoon Sake
- 1 tsp Brown Sugar
- 1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
- 1-inch piece Ginger, peeled and smashed
- 1 clove Garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 Scallion, chopped
For the tartar sauce
- 3 Tablespoon finely chopped yellow onion
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 large hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoon finely chopped dill pickle
- 2 Tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
For the chicken
- 1-1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 10 to 12 cups canola oil, for frying
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 3 cups very thinly sliced green cabbage
- Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Preparation
Tare Sauce
Think of tare as a concentrated flavoring agent of Japanese soups you can add to any ramen broth. You can include additional secondary ingredients, such as niboshi (dried sardines), lemongrass and chili flakes to suit your tastes, but maintain a base of two parts stock to one part each soy sauce and Mirin. Add tare to ramen broth to taste unless your recipe specifies otherwise.
Make the tare sauce
- In a saucepan, put all the ingredients which include: ½ cup Sodium-free or Low-sodium Chicken or Vegetable Broth; Mirin; Soy Sauce; Sake; Brown Sugar; Rice Wine Vinegar; Ginger; Garlic; Scallion.
- Simmer the saucepan until the sugar is melted and until the while mixture reduces to half cup.
- Strain the solids and let the sauce cool.
Make the chicken
- Put the chicken between sheets of parchment, and gently pound to 1/2-inch thickness.
- Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Pour the oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy-duty pot until two-thirds full. Heat the oil to 350°F.
- Meanwhile, put the flour and eggs on separate rimmed plates. Put racks over two large rimmed baking sheets, and set aside.
- Dredge the chicken lightly in the flour and shake off any excess. Then dip the chicken in the egg on both sides.
- Working in batches, fry the chicken until golden brown, for about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to one of the prepared racks, let it rest for 1 minute, and then dip into the Tare Sauce (the chicken must be hot when dipped in the sauce).
- Transfer the dipped chicken to the second prepared rack. Repeat the same with the remaining chicken.
- Thinly slice the chicken. Divide the cabbage among serving bowls or pile on a large platter, and top with the sliced chicken and dollops of tartar sauce. Garnish with the parsley, and serve with the remaining sauces at the table.
What is in Homemade Tartar Sauce?
I love homemade tartar sauce because you know exactly what is going into it. Plus, you can make just enough for dinner, and you don’t have to worry about the rest of a jar of tartar sauce hanging out in your refrigerator.
This is all you need to make it – you might already have everything on hand!
How and why the ingredients are used? Here is the answer.
- Mayonnaise – this is the base of the tartar sauce.
- Pickles – I use dill pickles. If you want to bring a little sweetness, you can use bread and butter pickles, but I think dill is the best for this recipe.
- Onion – I use a regular yellow onion, although a white onion or sweet onion would work. Chop it very fine, or you can even grate the onion. If you grate it, you’ll only need about half as much.
- Lemon Juice – You need a bit of acidity and lemon juice brings the perfect amount of flavor.
- Capers – I absolutely love capers and the saltiness they bring. If you don’t have them on hand, you can leave them out of this recipe, but I find that I always have a jar in the refrigerator
Make the tartar sauce
- Put the onion in a small bowl. Add 1 tsp. salt and massage into the onion. Cover with 1/4 cup cold water. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the onion, then squeeze out the excess water using paper or kitchen towels.
- In another small bowl, combine the onion, mayonnaise, eggs, pickle, parsley, 1/4 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of black pepper, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Is Tartar Sauce Low Carb?
Yes, tartar sauce is low carb! If you are following a keto diet, be sure to use mayonnaise that is free of soya bean oil, to prepare your tartar sauce. Avocado oil mayo can be a good alternative for the soya bean oil mayo.
If you make use of sweet pickles in your sauce, you will want to get a sugar free version and check your carb count.
Tartar Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoon finely chopped yellow onion
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 large hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoon finely chopped dill pickle
- 2 Tablespoon Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
- Put the onion in a small bowl. Add 1 tsp. salt and massage into the onion. Cover with 1/4 cup cold water. Let it rest for 5 minutes.
- Drain and rinse the onion, then squeeze out the excess water using paper or kitchen towels.
- In another small bowl, combine the onion, mayonnaise, eggs, pickle, parsley, 1/4 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of black pepper, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
I hope you loved this recipe. Please share your feedback in the comments section.
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