There are two good ways in which a Tartar sauce may be made. You can try whichever you please; but if you are in a hurry the second will suit your purpose better than the first. 1st:—Catch a young Tartar: for the old ones are very tough and devoid of juice. To catch a Tartar is generally a very unpleasant and at all times a difficult undertaking. A young Tartar will probably cost you at least $10,000—and perhaps your life—before you get through with him: but if you must have Tartar sauce you must be ready to take all risks. Having procured your Tartar you must kill him privately, taking care that the act shall escape the observation of police authorities, who would probably in such a case be strongly prejudiced in favor of the Tartar. Having killed, skinned and cleaned the Tartar, cut off the tenderest part of the hams and thights; boil three hours, and then hash up with Mexican pepper, aloes and spices. Add a quart of mulled wine and slowly boil to the consistency of honey. You will probably find the Tartar sauce very palatable; and if hermetically sealed in bottles with the addition of a little Santa Cruz rum, will serve for a long time. The rest of the Tartar will not keep, and must be disposed of judiciously. 2nd:–Take the yolk of a hardboiled egg, a teasponful of mustard, a tablespoonful of olive oil, a little vinegar, a little parsley and pickled cucumber, and hash up very fine.
From Item, November 16, 1879
Reprinted in Lafcadio Hearn’s Creole Cook Book
Lafcadio Hearn is probably best known for the short story Mujina. Who knew he also wrote the first book on Creole cookery? I didn’t, until a few days ago when a friend pointed it out. The book comprises recipes Hearn collected in the late-1800s. Lots and lots of recipes.
As for Tartar sauce, I just mix mayonnaise and sweet pickle relish.
This reminds me of when I wanted to re-cover a chair in Naugahyde. I searched for days and never even caught a glimpse of a Nauga. It’s been years and I’ve still never seen one in the wild.
I’ve never tried making tartar sauce myself, but my absolute favorite off-the-shelf brand is Beaver, which advertises on the label that it contains dill and capers, so I’d have to consider those to be essential ingredients.
There was the movie too, and many people know him from it. Somehow I’ve managed to miss the film. I met someone last week who has a VHS copy, but she’s half a state away. My exposure to him was Mujina, which was published in Wolf’s Complete Book Of Terror almost 30 years ago.
My real intention of starting this thread was not to discuss Tartar sauce recipes, though I knew they would be the predominant posts, but to use Hearn’s reprint of the Item column to raise awareness of the book. As I said, ‘Who knew?’ It’s as if science fiction actor Peter Weller were to get a Master’s Degree in, say, Roman and Renaissance Art History and taught a university, and then pursued a PhD in Italian Renaissance Art. Oh, wait… Anyway, you know what I mean.
I’ve thumbed through the book and have read several recipes. I think most of us are familiar with the modern format, where ingredients are listed and steps are clearly laid out. Hearn’s book is different. The ingredients are listed in the instructions, and his writing style sometimes made me think ‘Wait. What happened to [this]?’ Sort of like reading a cookbook written by Yoda. (Not quite, but you have to read ahead.)
The book was written when people cooked on wood stoves or over open fires. Some ingredients would be uncommon nowadays. Many recipes call for lard. Of course lard is readily available, but few people actually use it because of its perceived unhealthiness. But mutton is hard to find; and if you want squirrel or pigeon you’ll need to shoot it yourself (or go to a specialty meat vendor).
I don’t think I’ve ever done it the same way twice. Always mayonnaise, sweet pickles, sometimes dill pickles too, a bit of mustard, usually finely chopped onions, sometimes capers, sometimes herbs like parsley, tarragon or dill.
FWIW, the above mix works pretty well for tuna or chicken salad, especially if you add chopped green olives. Sounds weird, but the olives give it a touch of bitterness and a good dose of umami.
And if you take that and add ketchup until the mixture is dark pink, you have the basis for a decent 1000 Island salad dressing (I also add hot salsa for some zip).