Lisa's Tartar Sauce.

This is tartar sauce with real personality. Two kinds of relish, a generous cup of fresh parsley, chopped onion, scallions, and dashes of Worcestershire and hot sauce make this a Cajun-country version that leaves the bland stuff from a jar in the dust.

Chow chow relish is the ingredient that sets this apart from every other tartar sauce recipe. It’s a tangy, pickled vegetable condiment common in Southern and Cajun cooking that adds a complexity sweet relish alone can’t deliver.

Mixing everything together and refrigerating overnight isn’t just a suggestion. The flavors need time to marry. Fresh-mixed tartar sauce tastes sharp and disjointed; overnight it mellows into something cohesive and balanced where every ingredient has its say.

This makes a big batch, about 8 cups, because it stores well in the fridge and only gets better with time.

Pro Tips

• Drain the sweet relish and chow chow well before mixing. Excess liquid thins the sauce and makes it runny instead of thick and scoopable.
• Chop the parsley and onion finely. Chunky pieces don’t blend well into the mayo and make the texture uneven.
• Taste and adjust after the overnight rest, not when you first mix it. The flavors shift as they meld.

Variations

• Remoulade style: Add a teaspoon of Creole mustard and a squeeze of lemon juice for a sauce that leans more toward a classic Louisiana remoulade.
• Dill version: Stir in chopped fresh dill and substitute dill relish for the sweet relish for a more herbaceous, Northern-style tartar sauce.