Homemade Classic Remoulade Sauce, freshly made and ready to serve

Classic Remoulade Sauce

This is the Louisiana-style remoulade, the pinkish, peppery one that goes on crab cakes and shrimp po’boys, not the pale French version that’s closer to tartar sauce. The color comes from a surprising amount of paprika, a full tablespoon, plus a little ketchup and tomato paste. I thought that much paprika would taste dusty. It doesn’t, as long as you give it time.

That’s really the only rule. Blend everything, then let it sit in the fridge for at least two hours so the paprika dissolves into the mayo and the garlic softens. Straight out of the food processor it tastes a bit raw and grainy. After the rest, it’s smooth and tangy, with a slow heat from the hot sauce. It keeps for a week, and it’s what I reach for whenever there’s fried fish on the table.

4.67 from 3 votes
A classic remoulade sauce in the Louisiana style, made with mayo, Creole mustard, capers, scallions and plenty of sweet paprika. It takes 10 minutes in a food processor and tastes best after a couple of hours of chilling. Serve it with crab cakes, fried shrimp, fish or po'boys.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: Cajun/Creole
Calories: 180

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup scallions (green parts only, finely chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons capers (drained)
  • 2 tablespoons celery (minced)
  • 2 tablespoons Creole or whole-grain mustard
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika (3 teaspoons, fresh)
  • 1 teaspoon Louisiana-style hot sauce
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (4 tablespoons)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)

Equipment

  • Food processor
  • Jar or container with a lid

Method

  1. Finely chop the scallion greens and parsley, mince the celery and garlic, and drain the capers.
    1/2 cup scallions, 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, 2 tablespoons capers, 2 tablespoons celery, 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic
  2. Put the mayonnaise, sour cream and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor.
    1 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup olive oil
  3. Add the mustard, ketchup, tomato paste, paprika, hot sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper, followed by the chopped aromatics.
    2 tablespoons Creole or whole-grain mustard, 3 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon Louisiana-style hot sauce, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  4. Pulse until everything is well combined and the sauce is an even pinkish orange, scraping down the sides once or twice. Leave it slightly textured rather than completely smooth.
  5. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so the paprika dissolves and the flavors come together. Stir before serving, and keep leftovers in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition

Calories: 180kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 370mgSugar: 2g

Notes

No food processor? Chop the scallions, capers, celery and garlic very finely and whisk everything together by hand. A vinegary Louisiana-style hot sauce gives the right kind of heat; add more if you like it spicy.
You might also like our Homemade Big Mac Sauce.

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3 Comments

  1. Beau_in_Lafayette says:

    5 stars
    this is the real deal, tastes like the stuff at my favorite seafood shack. made it for crab cakes and had to make more

  2. MarciB_Pensacola says:

    5 stars
    letting it sit the 2 hrs is key, it was kinda grainy at first and then perfect. i added extra hot sauce

  3. greg_fishes_a_lot says:

    4 stars
    good on fried catfish. a little too much lemon for my taste so next time ill use 3 tbsp

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