Sauces

These are the simplest items that you will prepare to go with your seafood dinner.

For a plain tarter sauce mix a couple of teaspoons of Sweet pickle relish with a cup of mayonnaise and you're done, unless you want to get hoity-toity and add capers to it. I like to spice it up though with some horseradish and brown mustard, usually adding a couple of dashes of Tabasco sauce for good measure. I also prefer to use Miracle Whip salad dressing rather than mayonnaise. I've been buying the reduced fat version lately and it's OK.

For basic cocktail sauce mix a cup of ketchup with a couple of teaspoons of horseradish and add some Tabasco for good measure. See how simple these sauces are? I usually add ketchup to my version of tarter sauce above and just call it seafood sauce. That way I don't have to make two separate sauces for those that prefer one or the other.

Another good sauce, if you're in a "spurs and saddles" mood is a jar of Pace brand salsa in your choice of mild, medium or hot.

A lot of people are poaching fish and cooking them in the microwave oven, similar to poaching if done right, and a simple fish with drawn butter is almost as good as lobster. For drawn butter, simply melt butter (or margarine, ugh.) over low heat (do NOT let it boil) and let it sit until cooled. When cool, pour the clear yellow fat off the whitish liquid at the bottom and you have drawn butter (the clear yellow part). The white part is water and curd that separates from the fat and fall to the bottom of the pot. You can discard that part.

I like to give everyone plenty of choices with relish and sauce so Tabasco sauce, banana pepper rings, sweet gherkins, lemons, and Tiger Sauce (I LOVE Tiger sauce on everything) go on the table along with my seafood sauce when I have friends over for a fish dinner.

Capt. Charlie


Here’s a great recipe for a versatile and delicious seafood sauce. The amounts shown in the recipe are very approximate, and can of course be altered to suit your taste. Seminole horseradish is pretty hot, so beware if your tastebuds are dainty. Try this on any type of seafood - it’s also great on fries, tater tots and hushpuppies. If there are any culturally-deprived sorts out there who don’t know what a hushpuppy is, stay tuned...We’re working on rounding up a particularly good down-home southern recipe Buck knows about. Enjoy.

 Durty  Dick’s  Seafood  n’ Stuff  Sauce

            - 16 oz. Heinz catsup
           
- 4-6 oz. coarse Seminole horseradish
              (if you can’t find this brand where you live, consider relocating, - and substitute your favorite brand.)
           
- 1 tbsp. black pepper
           
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder (or 2 tbsp. minced fresh garlic)
           
- 1 tbsp. onion powder
           
- 2 tbsp. mustard (yellow or brown, whichever you prefer)
           
- 1 tsp. paprika
           
- 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
           
- 2 tbsp. lemon juice
           
- 1/4 cup sugar 

Combine all wet ingredients - the best way to mix is to place the ingredients in a jar, put the lid on and shake. Combine all dry ingredients then place them in the mixed-up wet ingredients. (this helps to minimize clumping) Stir or shake until well combined. Store in refrigerator; the sauce should keep for at least a month, probably more. 

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