Making homemade tarter sauce is so easy and is much healthier when using a yogurt base. Yesterday after posting about our new adventure in making piima yogurt, I was trying to figure out what to make for supper. I had a craving for fish and chips and figured that was the perfect opportunity to try our piima yogurt in a recipe. I’ve been making homemade tarter sauce the last few years anytime I make fish and chips at home so I figured this wouldn’t be too different other than my starter base.

As I started making the tarter sauce, I realized I did not have any cheesecloth to strain the liquid off of the piima yogurt for a thicker starting base. Therefore my starter base was rather thin, which made for some interesting eating with our fish! We actually ended up spooning some of the tarter sauce onto the fish on our plate since trying to dip it was making quite a mess.

When using this recipe, make sure you strain your piima yogurt or you can use a regular store bought plain yogurt as a base also since those tend to be naturally thicker.

I will note that this recipe calls for fresh chives but in the winter I double the onion in the recipe when I don’t have chives. Yesterday after I started making the tarter sauce I remembered that I had fresh chives growing in my garden. I love every chance I can get in our short growing season here in Montana to go outside to my gardens and harvest herbs to use in my cooking.

Mix the yogurt, onion, pickles, vinegar, mustard and chives in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, salt and pepper a little at a time to your desired taste.

I prefer to make this in advance and put it in the refrigerator, covered, for at least an hour or more so the flavors have time to settle in together before serving.