Tartar Sauce

The newest Fairway in the City is on East 86th Street, between Second and Third Avenues. The fish department is beautiful, stocked with pristine fish that turns over quickly. I have bought large, plump, dry, wild, diver scallops, easy to cook and delicious to eat. Since I pretty much stick to what is wild, I have to wait until I get there to see what I'm going to buy for dinner, and often I'm choosing among lemon sole, grey sole, and flounder.

Last night I got lemon sole. It was firm and lovely and smelled good - like the sea. I cut the fillets in half so the pieces were small and bound them with a breading of Wondra flour, eggs, which I had beaten with a fork and put through a sieve so they were smooth and silkly, and panko.

This looks like a silly product, but it really is convenient.

Then I cooked them in grapeseed oil until they were golden brown.

I served them with fresh spinach sauteed with slices of garlic, sauteed cherry tomatoes, and Rebecca Charles's of Pearl Oyster Bar Tartar Sauce.

Tartar Sauce

Adapted from Lobster Rolls and Blueberry Pie by Rebecca Charles of Pearl Oyster Bar

These amounts are rather loose and depend on how much sauce you want to make. Increase as desired.

1/3 cup Hellman's Mayonnaise

1/2 large shallot, minced, or 2 tablespoons minced sweet onion

1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cornichons (I use Maille cornichons)

1 teaspoon cornichon juice

2 teaspoons tiny capers in vinegar, drained

Salt (if necessary) and pepper to taste

A small squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together and chill until ready to use.

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