What Is Remoulade Sauce?

Is there anything better than a good dipping sauce? Well, sure, if you’re really holding my feet to the fire, there are lots of things better. But the fact remains: Dipping sauces are pretty good. And there’s a whole world out there beyond ketchup. Today, we’re talking about an all-timer in the sauce club: remoulade. But what is remoulade sauce, exactly? What is it used for? How do you pronounce it? Let’s find out!

What is remoulade sauce?

Remoulade is a creamy sauce of French origin. It can be compared to tartar sauce and, to some extent, it might be considered a fancier version of that condiment (it’s also not that far off from Hollandaise). As with tartar sauce, remoulade is often paired with seafood-based dishes, although it has a number of other uses as well. 

What is in remoulade sauce?

The star ingredient of this French sauce is mayonnaise. Yes, that versatile…spread? Condiment? Life source? Whatever it is, it is crucial to remoulade. 

In addition, remoulade usually includes chopped pickles, paprika, capers, horseradish, and maybe even anchovies. But that’s just the beginning. There are a wide variety of remoulade recipes that add other herbs and spices to this already-delicious sauce. If you’re making a remoulade for yourself, don’t be afraid to throw in some hot sauce, garlic, mustard, or whatever other bold flavors you think would make it pop even more. 

How do you make remoulade sauce?

Remoulade can be made without a whole lot of fuss. The folks at Simply Recipes have a great step-by-step for how to prepare a Louisiana-style (that means more spicy) remoulade. The ingredients include mayonnaise, mustard, Creole seasoning, horseradish, pickle juice, hot sauce, and garlic. You basically just mix up all the ingredients together, then let them chill for a few hours in the fridge to let the flavors really cohere. That’s it! Now you’ve got an amazing dipping sauce for seafood, veggies, or whatever else your heart desires. 

How to pronounce remoulade? 

According to the folks and/or robots who make the Google pronunciation tab that pops up when you search this, the correct pronunciation is “Ray-Moo-Laad.” To me, a genius who took four whole years of French, this is very slightly incorrect and I would recommend flattening the “Ray” portion slightly to be closer to “reh” as in “red.” But there’s no question that people will know what you’re talking about as long as you pronounce it vaguely like this. 

What is remoulade sauce used for?

With its mixture of mayonnaise, pickles, and spices, remoulade has some clear similarities with tartar sauce, and as such it goes very well with seafood. If you’re ordering crab cakes at a restaurant, there’s a good chance they’ll come with a side of remoulade. And if you get a shrimp po’ boy, it may very well come slathered in remoulade, as well. 

It doesn’t end there. While you would probably never put tartar sauce on a cold cut sandwich (although now that I think about it, that actually doesn’t sound bad at all), remoulade is a common addition to turkey or roast beef. If you ask a European, remoulade can be used pretty much anywhere—as an addition to hot dogs, as a topping for meat dishes, as a dipping sauce for veggies or french fries, and on and on. The point is, this sauce is delicious and has multiple uses, so you really can’t go wrong.