**The Art of Making Homemade Tartar Sauce**
When it comes to making delicious homemade tartar sauce, there's no beating the flavor and freshness that you get from using high-quality ingredients. In this recipe, we're going to show you how to make a mouth-watering tartar sauce that's perfect for accompanying your favorite seafood dishes, including crab cakes.
**Gathering Ingredients**
To start making our homemade tartar sauce, we need to gather some essential ingredients. First things first, we're going to dice up half of one shallot. If you don't have a shallot, you can use a yellow onion or white onion as a substitute. Make sure your knife is nice and sharp, and just rock back and forth until you have a nice fine dice on that shallot or onion. A quarter cup of parsley is also necessary for this recipe. You can use either flat leaf or curly leaf parsley, whichever you prefer.
**Adding Flavor to the Sauce**
Now it's time to add some flavor to our tartar sauce. We're going in with one tablespoon of capers, which have a nice citrus flavor that pairs perfectly with the shallots and parsley. Don't forget to dice those capers up fine as well, so they mix in smoothly with the rest of the ingredients. Another essential ingredient is mayonnaise, which provides a creamy base for our tartar sauce. We're also adding some sweet relish, fresh lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice to give our sauce a nice balance of flavors.
**Balancing the Acidity**
To balance out the acidity in our tartar sauce, we're going to add a pinch of white sugar. This may seem like an unusual ingredient, but trust us, it makes all the difference in achieving that perfect tanginess. We'll also be adding some all-purpose seasoning, including salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder, to give our sauce a boost of flavor.
**Mixing and Tasting**
Now it's time to mix everything together! Break out your whisk and combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix until they're well combined and the flavors are evenly distributed. Taste as you go and adjust the seasoning to your liking. You can add more mayonnaise if you want a creamier sauce, or more lemon juice if you prefer it tangier.
**Finishing Touches**
Finally, we'll be adding some leftover parsley and shallot that we had on hand to give our tartar sauce an extra boost of flavor. Mix everything together one last time, then pop the bowl into the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
**Crab Cakes Recipe**
Now that we have our homemade tartar sauce, it's time to make some delicious crab cakes! To start, preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray it lightly with cooking spray. Form the crab cake mixture into patties, about 1/2 inch thick, and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
**Baking and Broiling**
Place the crab cakes in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they're golden brown and cooked through. While the crab cakes are baking, brush a little bit of melted butter onto each patty. Once the crab cakes are done, remove them from the oven and place them under the broiler for an additional 2-3 minutes, just to get them nice and brown.
**Plating and Serving**
To plate our crab cakes, simply top each one with a dollop of homemade tartar sauce and some fresh lettuce or tomato. You can also add a slice of bacon on top, if you like. Serve immediately and enjoy!
**Crab Cake Sliders Recipe**
For a fun twist on traditional crab cakes, try making sliders! To start, form the crab cake mixture into smaller patties, about 1/4 inch thick. Place them onto small buns or slider rolls, then top each one with a dollop of homemade tartar sauce and some bacon, lettuce, and tomato.
**Football Season Special**
Now that football season is back in full swing, we're excited to share a special recipe just for the occasion: crab cake sliders! These bite-sized morsels are perfect for snacking on while cheering on your favorite team. Simply follow our regular recipe for crab cakes, but form them into smaller patties and serve on small buns with all the fixings.
**The Final Touch**
Finally, it's time to taste the fruits of our labor! Take a bite of one of these delicious crab cake sliders, and let us know what you think. We're confident that our homemade tartar sauce will make all the difference in elevating this dish from ordinary to extraordinary. So go ahead, give it a try, and enjoy the delicious flavors of Maryland-style crab cakes!