Tartare sauce (or Tartar sauce in American English) is a creamy white sauce frequently used to season fried seafood dishes.
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Based on mayonnaise, it is made with whole eggs, white wine vinegar and oil, with the addition of chopped capers, chopped gherkins, a squeeze of lemon juice and chopped tarragon. The sauce is typically of a rough consistency.
The sauce in the U.S. is similar, made from mayonnaise, finely chopped pickles, capers, onions (or chives) and fresh parsley. Chopped hard-boiled eggs or olives are sometimes added, as may be Dijon mustard as an emulsifier.
The name derives from the French sauce tartare, named after the Tatars from the Eurasian Steppe, who once occupied parts of the Ukraine and Russia. Beyond this, the etymology is unclear. In Europe, the sauce is used as condiment to steak tartare.
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