17 sauces for fish: from white sour cream sauce to gravy from childhood.

Today we want to talk about fish sauce, which is sometimes called  fish sauce. Although this is a completely different story, so let’s get to the recipes.

Each fish has its own sauce

Fatty fish are served with sauces prepared with various types of vinegar, lemon juice (or juice of other citrus fruits), and vegetable puree (from tomatoes or celery).

Be sure to add spices and herbs so that their taste and aroma are masked by fish oil. Moreover, fatty freshwater fish and fatty sea fish “love” different flavoring and aromatic additives.

In fresh waters, fish meat is involuntarily enriched with the taste of mud, especially in those living in the bottom layers. This feature of fatty carp can be masked with bay leaves, celery and parsley, and for low-fat pike, dill or basil is enough.

The fat of sea fish does not have a distinct odor until the inhabitant of the deep sea is in the frying pan. Paprika and white pepper will help make the aroma more delicate.

Sauce for fried fish

The smell of fried fish cannot be hidden. But it can be made more appetizing. For fish from the cod family (cod, navaga, haddock, pollock), mayonnaise-tomato sauce is perfect. It is based on mayonnaise with the addition of ketchup and mustard.

Composition:

• 150 g standard fat mayonnaise (67%);
• 50 g ketchup (choose according to your taste – regular or spicy);
• 20 g mustard (preferably mild, for example French);
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• 1 pickled cucumber (medium size);
• 1 good bunch of dill (50 – 100 g).

How to cook:

1. Mix mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard, add crushed garlic and finely chopped cucumber, chopped dill.
2. Place in the refrigerator for 1 – 2 hours to distribute the flavors throughout the sauce.

You can add lemon juice (10 – 20 g) to the sauce for pink salmon. If fattier fish is put into the frying pan, the proportions can be changed in favor of ketchup (150 g of ketchup and 50 g of mayonnaise), add a little Tabasco.

If the sauce seems too thick, you can add a little cucumber pickle so that the seasoning spreads slightly over the pieces of fried fish.

Mayonnaise can be prepared homemade, diet or even. lenten and vegan

White sauce for red fish

This is a classic sauce from haute cuisine recipes, it is made on the basis of Béchamel sauce. It is usually served with salmon fish, such as trout or salmon, which have tender, rather fatty meat.

There is no need to overpower any fishy flavors. On the contrary, the sauce can be quite fatty, since fish is usually served with some kind of neutral side dish of boiled vegetables or spaghetti and itself serves as a sauce for it.

We will need:

• Strong fish broth – 100 ml
• Flour – 3 tbsp. l 
• Butter – 50 gr.
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Salt, pepper to taste

How to do:

1. Boil broth from the head, fins and tail of the trout.
2. Fry the flour in butter until golden brown, stirring constantly with a spatula or whisk.
3. Pour in the broth, mix well and simmer over low heat until the volume is reduced by a quarter.
4. Add salt and pepper, remove from heat, add lemon juice, stir and let stand for 10 – 15 minutes.

If the sauce is being prepared for salmon baked in the oven, be sure to add finely chopped herbs so that the smell of fried fish does not appear.

You can also garnish the sauce with red caviar. And fish broth can be replaced with cream or milk, as in the video recipe below.

Sauce for baked fish

Important clarification: you can pour the sauce over the fish before putting it in the oven or serve the sauce with already baked fish. In both cases, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of the fish.

• the fattier the fish, the leaner, spicy and sour the sauce should be;
• It is better to bake lean fish in a rich sauce;
• the combination of fatty fish and side dish makes the sauce valuable in its own right, allowing the use of a fat-based sauce, but not so much to improve the taste of the fish, but to flavor the side dish.

Sauce for baking fish

We bake any cod fish, including blue whiting. Suitable for Far Eastern salmon, especially for the least fatty of them – pink salmon.

Small fish should be cut into thick steaks, large fish can be cut into half steaks. A Teflon mold or casserole dish is suitable for baking.

Ingredients:

• cream 100 ml;
• flour 50 g;
• butter 20 g;
• mustard 1 st. l.;
• spicy herbs, half a lemon, seasonings.

Cooking process:

1. Preheat the oven to 200⁰C.
2. Place the prepared fish in a container, pour in lemon juice, sprinkle with chopped herbs (dill, parsley, celery), and leave to soak.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stirring and frying the flour until golden brown.
4. Pour in the cream, stir thoroughly and simmer over low heat for 3 minutes, add mustard, stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Add seasonings (dry paprika, black and white pepper, cardamom, ginger – take everything on the tip of a knife).

Pour over the fish and place the container in the oven. After 5 min. reduce heat to 150⁰C. After 25 min. turn off the heat and leave for 10 minutes. finish in the oven.

Sauce for baked fish

A sauce based on soy sauce is perfect for fatty fish baked in the oven.

We will need:

• Soy sauce – 100 ml
• Garlic – 2 cloves
• Fresh ginger – 0.5 tsp.
• Juice of half a lemon
• Mayonnaise – 2 tbsp. l.

Recipe:

1. Squeeze the garlic into the soy sauce, add half a teaspoon. finely chopped ginger, lemon juice and mayonnaise, mix well.
2. Let stand in the refrigerator for 1 hour and you’re done!

The consistency is thin enough to pour from a gravy boat.

If you urgently need to prepare a sauce for grilled fish outdoors, simply mix ketchup with mayonnaise and add ground pepper.

Fish tartare

Tartar is made on a fatty basis and goes well with the lean white meat of cod fish. However, it has a sour taste. And then tartar is fish sauce for salmon.

The recipe for this universal fish sauce is very simple, because it is based on regular store-bought mayonnaise.

Ingredients:

• 150 g mayonnaise (any fat content);
• 100 g pickled cucumbers;
• 50 g pickled cucumbers;
• a large bunch of dill (50 – 100 g);
• 50 g onions (a quarter of a medium onion);
• half a lemon.

Preparation:

1. Finely chop the pickled cucumbers.
2. Very finely chop the pickled cucumbers, dill and onions.
3. Chopped onions can be doused with boiling water or left in the fullness of the onion pungency.
4. Add the chopped mixture to the mayonnaise, squeeze the juice from half a lemon, mix well and refrigerate for 1 – 2 hours.

This seasoning has many variations for a wide variety of seafood. But the laconic classic is good for any dish. For this sauce you can prepare healthy mayonnaise according to Dukan.

Look at the recipe for fish with tartar sauce from our respected Ilya Isaakovich Lazerson.

Polish sauce

The classic use of Polish fish sauce is to pour it over boiled cod. Its peculiarity is in the classic version – it is served on the table in the form of separate ingredients and mixed on the fish.

Composition:

• Boiled egg – 2 pcs.
• Parsley – 1 bunch
• Juice of half a lemon
• Butter – 50 gr.

Cooking process:

1. Peel the eggs and chop finely.
2. Chop the parsley and prepare half a lemon.
3. Melt the butter.
4. Pour melted butter over the boiled cod, sprinkle with chopped egg and parsley, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon.

The prepared sauce is enough for 2 good servings of 300 – 400 g.

Sour cream sauce

Sour cream is included in the recipes of many sauces. This white sauce is made with sour cream, horseradish, flour and butter—legitimate ingredients of Russian cuisine.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 glass of sour cream (200 g);
• 50 g of grated horseradish;
• 20 g flour;
• 20 g butter;
• half a teaspoon each of salt and sugar;
• 100 ml fish broth.

How to cook:

1. Grate the horseradish on a fine grater (if using fresh roots) and lightly fry in a saucepan with butter.
2. Add flour, mix well and fry for 2 minutes.
3. Pour in the broth and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add sour cream, salt and sugar, stir. Heat for 5 minutes, stirring.
5. Remove from heat and leave to cool, stirring occasionally.

We must remember that only freshwater fish was flavored with this Russian sauce. And at the same time they did not consider it necessary to fight off the light aroma of mud. If the sauce is also acidified with lemon juice, it is perfect for battered fish and fish aspic.

Simple sauce for fish

The easiest way to make fish sauce is to mix ready-made sauces. In fact, there is no need to spend too much time on boiled or fried pollock.

Ingredients:

• 100 g mayonnaise;
• 50 g ketchup;
• 20 g soy sauce.

Mix and use immediately. Of course, there are plenty of options to make this dressing more interesting. But this will take extra time and make a simple sauce complicated.

But keep in mind, it will always include: mustard, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, vegetable oil, herbs and generally any seasonings for fish.

Sauce for fish with cucumber

The fresh taste of cucumber will make any dish even more appetizing. Only fresh cucumbers can compete with salted and pickled cucumbers. This fish sauce recipe is specifically for making at home.

Composition:

• 100 gr. sour cream;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 1 medium cucumber;
• a bunch of dill (50 g);
• bunch of parsley (50 g).
• Salt, pepper to taste
• Lemon juice – 1 tsp.

How to do:

1. Chop the garlic and add to the sour cream.
2. Grate the cucumber on a fine grater and add to the sour cream along with the resulting juice;
3. Chop the parsley and dill and add to the sauce.
4. Mix everything well, add salt, pepper and a spoonful of lemon juice. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

This sauce is almost Greek tzatziki sauce, but is made from sour cream. Although you can easily replace it with Greek yogurt, as in the original recipe.

For boiled fish

Boiled fish, especially cod, will taste better if it is flavored with a fish sauce made from sour cream and stewed vegetables. This sauce is especially good for steamed cod.

Ingredients:

• sour cream 100 g;
• carrots 100 g;
• celery root 100 g;
• onions 100 g;
• butter;
• a bunch of parsley;
• champignons 50 g;
• fish broth 100 ml.

Preparation:

1. Boil carrots and celery in fish broth.
2. Rub the boiled vegetables through a sieve, chop the parsley, add to the sour cream.
3. Chop the onion and champignons, fry in a saucepan with butter, pour in the broth in which the vegetables were cooked, and leave to simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Place sour cream in boiling broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

It would be nice to have some chopped fresh parsley left over to sprinkle on the dish after serving.

Garlic sauce

This can be called any gravy for fish that contains garlic in sufficient quantities. Here is a recipe for a sauce whose taste depends entirely on garlic.

By its basis it is easy to determine what kind of fish it is suitable for. This sauce can be used as a salad dressing made from vegetables.

Composition:

• refined vegetable oil 100 ml;
• garlic 5 cloves;
• 1 lemon;
• mustard – 1 tsp.
• salt, sugar – half a teaspoon each (adjust the amount to taste).

Preparation:

1. Crush and further mince the garlic.
2. Add it to the butter, as well as salt, sugar and mustard, stir.
3. Pour in the juice of 1 lemon: in small portions and stirring constantly.
4. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

It is not necessary to completely match the consistency of mayonnaise. The mustard will prevent the sauce from separating. Ideally, lemon juice is mixed into the butter just before serving.

This recipe is somewhat reminiscent of Vinaigret sauce, which is also quite suitable for lean fish.

Mustard sauce

This is a widely used seasoning. You can even dress salads with it. To make this fish sauce more specialized, add fresh tarragon. It will make grilled salmon tastier.

Ingredients:

• vegetable oil 100 ml (unrefined olive oil is possible);
• mustard powder 1 tbsp. l.;
• apple or grape vinegar 1 tsp;
• tarragon 50 g;
• powdered sugar 1 tsp;
• salt – on the tip of the knife.

Cooking process:

1. Mix mustard powder with powdered sugar in a bowl.
2. Pour in the oil in a thin stream, stirring constantly with a whisk.
3. Finely chop the tarragon, place in a bowl, sprinkle with vinegar and salt.
4. Mix well and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Tarragon can be successfully replaced with lovage or celery.

Chinese sauce

This sauce will make the taste of fried pollock more interesting. It is very easy to prepare – if you have the necessary ingredients: soy sauce and Sriracha sauce.

It is enough to mix them in equal proportions and you get a seasoning with a bright oriental taste.

Spicy sauce

It’s easy to guess that this sauce will be red. It is based on a hot chili sauce labeled “Hot”. For those who like extra spiciness, it can be enhanced with a few drops of Tabasco.

But you shouldn’t overdo it. An increase in spiciness will indicate that it makes no difference what you eat – as long as it comes with hot sauce.

Preparation: put 100 g of tomato paste or ketchup and 100 g of hot chili sauce into a wide cup, add 3 crushed and chopped garlic cloves, 50 g of chopped spicy herbs (tarragon, cilantro or tarragon), stir.

Green spinach sauce

To surprise your guests, you can occasionally prepare green sauce for fish instead of white sauce. Seasoning of increased usefulness – this can be seen from the ingredients:

Composition:

• spinach 100 g;
• dill 50 g;
• parsley 50 g;
• garlic 3 cloves;
• olive oil 50 ml;
• salt, sugar – in minimal doses.

How to cook:

1. Wash the spinach and herbs thoroughly, dry a little, shaking in a colander.
2. Crush the garlic.
3. Place the prepared ingredients in a blender, add salt, grind, adding oil little by little.

Place in a sauce boat, keep in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and serve with a saucer on which put two lemon halves – someone will definitely want to add some sourness.

Also check out the version of the sauce with spinach and cream.

Mushroom

This fish sauce works great as a gravy for fish served with steamed rice. Depending on the ratio of the number of products, mushrooms may be the main dish.

We will need:

• Champignons or chanterelles 200 g;
• Garlic turnip – 1 pc.
• Cream 100 g;
• Vegetable oil – 2 tbsp. l.
• Muka – 1 h. l.
• Salt, pepper – to taste.

How to make the sauce:

1. Chop the onions and mushrooms and fry in oil until crusty.
2. Add sour cream and flour little by little, stirring to obtain the desired consistency, which is achieved with flour.
3. Add salt and pepper and the sauce is ready!

You might like our other mushroom sauces!

As in childhood

4-5 decades ago, tomato sauce was often served with fish in canteens and at home. Some people still remember how well it spread across the table in kindergarten.

2nd It is obvious that with the help of this gravy they tried to reproduce the taste of marinated fish without unnecessary hassle. But fish sauce requires quality ingredients, and that was only achievable in the home kitchen.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion;
• 1 carrot;
• 50 g of tomato paste or ketchup;
• 20 g flour;
• 50 ml vegetable oil;
• 50 ml boiled water;
• salt, sugar – half a teaspoon each.

Preparation:

1. Cut the onion into half rings, grate the carrots on a coarse grater.
2. Pour oil into a saucepan, sauté onions and carrots, add tomato paste.
3. In a bowl, prepare a flour mixture from water and flour and pour into a saucepan.
4. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring well (the main thing is that nothing burns!).
5. Remove from heat, let cool and thicken.

This sauce goes well with “Soviet” types of fish: hake, haddock and pollock.

If you disagree with something or want to add something, or maybe share your recipe, then we are waiting for your comments!