Side Orders: White sauce puts zest to the test

Anne Braly
Anne Braly

I'll be darned if I didn't miss National Mustard Day. It came and went without more than a whisper. In fact, I wouldn't have known there was a National Mustard Day if it weren't for a note I received from Zatarain's alerting me to the fact. There were no parades, no banners flying - nothing to indicate a salute to one of the nation's top condiments.

National Mustard Day was on Aug. 4, and I was out of town, but the missive from Zatarain's did come in time for Labor Day. Included with the note was a recipe for white sauce served with smoky grilled chicken. My first thought was: Oh great, another recipe for Alabama white sauce. I've seen the recipe posted so many times it's hard to calculate its popularity.

But then I took a look at the ingredients for Zatarain's version of white barbecue sauce and saw that this particular recipe had a new kick to it - a wow factor. Using Creole mustard, plus a good dollop of horseradish - the hotter the better - gives it a really good kick. If you're looking for a good horseradish, the kind that sends a heat trail up your nostrils from the inside out, Inglehoffer is a good choice. The container says it all - hot grated horseradish roots. It's the hottest over-the-counter horseradish sauce I've found.

The white sauce is a multipurpose condiment. It's great over grilled chicken, but I also love it with ribs and I added a little to a recent batch of potato salad and drizzled it over deviled eggs.

When you light up the grill this Labor Day weekend, make sure a bowl of this is on the table.

White Barbecue Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Zatarain's Creole mustard

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (or more, to taste)

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl until well blended. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours to allow flavor to blend. Serve with grilled chicken, pork and vegetables, or add to potato salad or deviled eggs for a zesty flavor.

Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com.

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