I suppose when you name something “perfect remoulade” it better be better than good. This is a foundational recipe from Ed Lee’s best selling book Smoke & Pickles. He calls it a master recipe, because it’s meant to be flavored and tweaked for many other dishes.
What I Learned
Cooking along with Ed is a great learning experience using new ingredients and techniques. In re-creating his remoulade I enjoyed my first taste of Dukes mayonnaise. I grated garlic with my microplane for the first time and was surprised by how creamy it became. The final “first” was soft-boiling eggs to leave the yolks runny, so they would integrate better with the other ingredients.
Complications, Missteps and Mistakes
Ed says it’s O.K. to leave the eggs lumpy, but for some reason I overlooked that tidbit. As you can see, I used a lot of elbow grease beating them into submission and that made it creamier.
What I Did When Ed Wasn’t Looking
I used cornichons the first time and his recommended pickled okra the second. The difference was noticeable, because the cornichons were firmer and had more bite than the okra.
I mixed it together (gasp) with a spatula instead of a wooden spoon.
How to Use Perfect Remoulade
It’s delicious as is, or you can flavor it with additional spices and other ingredients. A prime example is flavoring it with red miso paste to use for a rice bowl with chicken.
Use it as a dip with fried okra or french fries, or as a sauce on burgers and sandwiches. It also makes a good salad dressing.
And The Verdict Is…
I believe my effort is an authentic version of Ed’s recipe. I can also say it’s far superior to plain old mayonnaise, mustard or ketchup. In fact, it’s perfect! Print
The Perfect Remoulade
A recreation of Chef Ed Lee’s classic recipe suitable for dips and spreads.
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 15
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2-1/2 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 1–1/2 cups dukes mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup shallots – finely chopped
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup pickled okra or cornichons (my preference) – chopped
- 1 TBL prepared horseradish
- 2 garlic cloves – grated with a micro-plane
- 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tsp flat leaf parsley – chopped
- 1–1/2 tsp grainy mustard
- 2 tsp fresh tarragon – chopped
- 1 tsp ketchup
- 3/4 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 tsp sweet paprika
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- Grated zest of 1 orange
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 3 dashes of tabasco sauce
Instructions
- Put the eggs into a small pot and cover them with cold water
- Bring it to a boil and boil for 4 minutes, then remove and place the eggs in an ice bath to chill, because you want the yolks to remain runny
- Carefully peel the eggs under cold running water and place them in a large bowl
- Beat the eggs with a whisk and it’s O.K. if they remain a little lumpy
- Add all the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly with a spatula or wooden spoon
- Transfer the remoulade to a quart jar and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using
- Refrigerate for up to 5 days