Remoulade is a rich sauce used to dress a wide variety of foods. It was created in France, where it is traditionally made from mayonnaise and herbs and used to flavor vegetables and salads. A mustard-flavored variation of French remoulade is popular in Danish cuisine. Remoulades are also a common feature of the Creole cuisine of the American South, although Creole adaptations of the sauce tend to vary significantly in ingredients, taste, and appearance from the traditional French version.
In its traditional form, first devised in France, remoulade consists of mayonnaise, usually made from egg yolks, oil, and lemon juice, which is mixed with capers, minced pickles, anchovy paste, and chopped fresh herbs like tarragon and chives. The resulting sauce is usually white or pale yellow in color. French cuisine often calls for the use of remoulade as a flavoring for cooked or cold vegetables and salads. One of the most popular uses for this condiment in French cooking is dressing finely sliced, raw celeriac root, a dish known among the French as céleri rémoulade.
Danish cooking commonly features an adaptation of traditional French remoulade. In this version of the sauce, mayonnaise is combined with mustard, minced cucumber and cabbage, sugar, and dried spices such as turmeric and coriander. Due to the addition of mustard and dried spices, Danish remoulades are often a deeper yellow color than their French counterparts. Remoulades of this type are often used to flavor the open-faced sandwiches that are a central part of traditional Danish cuisine. They may also be used to top hot dogs, French fries, and breaded fish.
The Creole cuisine found in Louisiana and other parts of the American South also utilizes remoulade widely. Creole adaptations of this sauce generally vary quite significantly from the traditional French version, however. Many Creole remoulades feature a base of oil or ketchup instead of mayonnaise, and they tend to have a red or orange color and a spicy taste due to the inclusion of dry spices like cayenne pepper and paprika. In Creole cuisine, remoulade is most often served alongside seafood dishes, particularly shrimp. It may also be served as an accompaniment to breaded, fried dishes and appetizers which do not feature seafood, such as fried green tomatoes.