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Remoulade is a popular condiment in many countries, and was invented in France. Very much like the tartare sauce of some English-speaking cultures, remoulade is often mayonnaise-based. Although like tartar sauce, it is more yellowish, sometimes curry flavoured, and invariably contains chopped pickles or piccalilli, and can also contain horseradish, paprika, anchovies, capers and a host of other items. Its original purpose was possibly for serving with meats, possibly to cover the taste of food that had spoiled from failed early preservation techniques.
Now it is often used as an accompaniment to seafood dishes especially pan-fried breaded fish fillets (primarily sole and plaice).
It is very popular in Denmark and in the United States, especially in Louisiana Creole cuisine.
Among other uses, it is used on top of roast beef items and as a hot dog condiment, although there are a multitude of other applications for it from main dishes to desserts, and from country-to-country.
In Denmark it is an essential ingredient on the Danish open-face roast beef sandwiches, along with roasted onion. It is also one of the most commonly-used sauces in which to dip french fries.
The Danish version is also very popular in Sweden, but there mostly for breaded fillets of fish (e.g. cod or plaice) served with boiled potatoes, dill and perhaps creamed spinach.
Louisiana Remoulade
Like other culinary items that originated in France, e.g., roux and bordelaise sauce, the Louisiana version of remoulade is quite different from the original. Invariably, it is red (from a bright red to ruddy orange) and is almost always very piquant. And while the classic white remoulade of France is a condiment that can be offered in a number of different contexts (seafood is common, but a classic dish is Celery Root Remoulade), Louisiana remoulade is automatically associated with shrimp--Shrimp Remoulade being a ubiquitous cold appetizer choice in New Orleans Creole restaurants. Historically, Hard Boiled Eggs with Remoulade was a less expensive option on some menus and occasionally one might see Crawfish Remoulade as an alternative. But remoulade sauce is never offered in restaurants as an accompaniment with fish (cocktail sauce and tartar sauce would be the usual options in the absence of a more involved presentation). In private homes, it may occasionally have a wider application, suggestive of its roots in the French version (Leon Soniat publishes his recipe alone and advises, "Serve over seafood or with sliced meats."Soniat, Leon E. La Bouche Creole, p.61. Pelican Publishing, 1983. ) While Shrimp Remoulade is most often served as a stand-alone appetizer (usually on a chiffonade of iceberg lettuce) it can be paired with other items, e.g. Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp Remoulade or Mirliton with Shrimp Remoulade.
Louisiana style remoulades fall into one of three categories--those with a mayonnaise base, those with a ketchup base, and those with an oil base. All three will have an abundance of finely chopped vegetables, usually green onions, celery, and parsley. Most will be made with Creole ("hot") mustard. The reddish hue comes from paprika (and in some cases from ketchup). Salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper round out the standard ingredients. Other popular additions include lemon juice, minced garlic, vinegar, horseradish, and Worcestershire sauce. In many recipes, the boiled, peeled, and chilled shrimp are marinated in the remoulade for several hours before serving. In other cases, the sauce is poured over the shrimp just before service.
See also
Notes
References
- http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=remoulade
- http://deepsouth.tulane.edu/culinary/web/learning_lore.asp?id=remoulade.txt
Condiments | Danish cuisine | French cuisine | Louisiana cuisine | Sauces of the mayonnaise family
"Remoulade"