Rémoulade

This simplest version of this French sauce is nothing more than a base of mayonnaise mixed with herbs, capers, pickles, and a few optional drops of anchovy oil. The word rémoulade is thought to have originated from the word remolat, the word for “horseradish” in the dialect spoken in France’s Picardy region, as the original version of the sauce may have been made with the spicy root.

In France, rémoulade stars most famously as the dressing for céleri rémoulade, a simple salad made with julienned celery root. While it was originally served as a sauce with meat dishes, today it is found far more often alongside fish.

A regional variation of the sauce is heavily used in Louisiana Creole cuisine. Shrimp remoulade is a famous dish using the sauce from Arnaud’s restaurant in New Orleans’ French Quarter, where the sauce is mixed with horseradish, spicy Creole mustard, and diced celery hearts.