Hovmästarsås

Ingredients

• 1 bunchdillfresh, washed, fronds finely chopped
• 3 tbspMustardmedium-hot; sweet, hot or tarragon mustard also used
• 2 tbsphoneyfor sweetness
• 5¼ ozmayonnaiseas the base, alone or mixed with sour cream
• 5¼ ozsour creamas the base, or thick sour cream / crème fraîche
• 2 tspvinegare.g. cider vinegar, for acidity
• 1 tbsplemonfreshly squeezed juice; alternatively finely chopped zest
• 2 tbspOilneutral or olive oil, stirred in
• saltto taste
• black pepperfreshly ground, to taste
• 1Pickled gherkinvery finely diced (optional)

Method

1. Wash the dill, shake it dry and remove the coarse stalks. Finely chop the fronds.
2. In a bowl, stir the mayonnaise and sour cream with the mustard and honey until smooth. If you prefer, use just one of the two as the base.
3. Stir in the vinegar and the freshly squeezed lemon juice.
4. Add the oil a little at a time, stirring, until the sauce is smooth and creamy.
5. Fold in the chopped dill. Add the very finely diced pickled gherkin, if using.
6. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
7. Cover the sauce and let it rest in the fridge for 30 to 60 minutes. Stir again and check the seasoning before serving.

Tips and variations

For a lighter sauce, use only sour cream or thick sour cream as the base and leave out the mayonnaise. Tarragon mustard gives it a flavour of its own. Instead of honey, a pinch of sugar can provide the sweetness. For a vegan vinaigrette, whisk hot and sweet mustard with apple juice, cider vinegar and sunflower oil, then add lemon zest and diced pickled gherkin. Without mayonnaise or sour cream, it works like this too: stir mustard with dill and maple syrup, whisk in oil gradually to a thick emulsion, then finish with cream and stock. Serve the sauce well chilled in a small bowl.