Hovmästarsås is a classic Swedish salmon sauce. The name translates to "headwaiter sauce" and got its name from the old days when the headwaiter was in charge of making the sauce at the guests' table. This type of silver service waiter is long gone in Sweden and is an outdated concept, but the sauce remains until this day.
At fine-dining restaurants across Sweden, the head waiter was in charge of making this special salmon sauce at the guests' table, when cutting up the salmon and serving it to the guests. A simple sauce packed with herby flavours and a tang, perfect with gravad salmon or smoked salmon, but equally good with different kinds of seafood like crab, lobster and crayfish as well as different types of smoked fish dishes.
You need:
3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
3 ½ tablespoons of dark cane sugar
1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar
75 ml of olive oil
1 teaspoon of cold water
A pitch of salt
100 ml of finely sliced dill
A pinch of white pepper
½ teaspoon of Japanese soy sauce, semisweet version
A couple of drops of Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon of lemon juice
How you make it:
Whisk together mustard, sugar, salt, pepper, soya sauce, Worcestershire sauce, water and vinegar in a bowl.
Add the oil in a fine stream while whisking, until the sauce has slightly thickened.
Finley cut the dill and add it to the sauce.
Add the lemon juice and taste the sauce to check the seasoning.
Give it a final whisk to make sure it is evenly combined and serve cold.
Serve with salmon, smoked fish dishes or seafood, boiled potatoes and a simple salad. Enjoy with a glass of cold white wine or sparkling water.
Give this wonderful and easy recipe a go, next time you are serving smoked fish, salmon or seafood.
