Saturday, March 10, 2007

Chef Jim's Dilly Sauce


Have I mentioned how much I LOVE my local Harris Teeter? Oh, I heart my grocery store -- I affectionately call it "the Teet" for short, as in "I'm off to suckle at the Teet of grocery goodness." My family makes fun of me* because I'm on a first-name basis with a lot of the employees. This, by the way, is an excellent practice to get into. Ask your butcher his opinion or the fish girl's name -- it will mean a lot to them, and next time you need to be persnickity about a certain cut of meat, or want them to reserve a special piece of fish for you, you've already established yourself as someone they kinda know. Always be kind to grocery store employees. They are wonderful sources of information and are so helpful when you simply put forth the extra effort of a smile and a minute of your time to chat.

Case in point: Chef Jim. He's the sample guy at my local Teet -- always sauteing up something simple and tasty. But he's so much more than that. He knows tons about wine and fish and pairings. He's who I turn to when I can't locate fennel or need to know what a good brand of caviar is. And he shared with me his great Dilly Sauce recipe, which I know he won't mind me sharing with you all.

2 T. fresh lemon juice (I don't get people who don't use fresh lemon juice; lemons are like, what? 50 cents?)
1 T. fresh snipped dill (ok, so you CAN use 1 tsp. dry, but it does NOT taste as good and looks WAY less pretty. You can get a small bunch of fresh dill in the veggie section, usually, if you don't grow your own herbs like my mom does.)
2 T. mayo (and this is why I love this recipe -- it's versatile! You can use reduced fat mayo, miracle whip, or even sour cream and this sauce is still delicious!)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard (again, you can increase or decrease this ammount if you don't love mustard)
a little freshly ground pepper

Combine everything well in a dish, adding the dill last. Let the bowl sit, covered with a cloth, for about 30 minutes and then serve. This makes a perfect substitution for tartar sauce and has about half the calories.

* I mentioned that I didn't want my husband to wear a shirt to the Teet (it had a reference to pirate sex on it) because "I have friends there!" Now every time I mention a trip to the Teet, I have to endure hoots and howls. But whatever. You wait until it's 4 PM on a Sunday and you need someone to run into the back freezer for the very last roast. Then who's laughing?

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