Antonia Lofaso says this ingredient swap makes for the best tartar sauce

From her celebrated restaurants to her culinary expertise on food television shows, Antonia Lofaso always impresses in the kitchen. While her affable personality welcomes people to the table, that sense of familiarity makes her approach to cooking appealing to the home chef. In this latest recipe reveal, Chef Antonia takes a refrigerator staple and transforms it in the most memorable way.

In many home kitchens, the concept of multipurpose ingredients is key. While some chefs can have shelves of vinegar to be used for one specific recipe, the reality is that idea is impractical for the home cook. Versatility of ingredients is key.

From avoiding food waste to promoting culinary creativity, multipurpose ingredients can help the home cook gain confidence in the kitchen. Although it might not guarantee that this family dinner would earn top billing on Food Network, it will be a dinner that the family requests time and again.

What does Antonia Lofaso use in her best tartar sauce recipe?

Recently, Antonia Lofaso partnered with Wallaby Organic on its Wallaby Culinary Dream Contest. Through this program, the partnership is looking to assist aspiring chefs to fulfill their culinary ambitions. As part of the collaboration, Chef Antonia created a special recipe using Wallaby Organic Whole Milk Yogurt.

During a recent conversation with Chef Antonia, she shared her inspiration for this recipe. She empathically said that she “loves this recipe.” Given that this yogurt is so thick and creamy, she found that it works perfectly in a tartar sauce.

Chef Antonia said, the Wallaby Organic Whole Milk Yogurt adds a multi-dimensional layer to the tartar sauce. Instead of traditional mayonnaise, the yogurt makes the whole dish a little more “dynamic.”

From the fried shrimp to the layers of flavor, this dish will get everyone’s stamp of approval. And, Chef Antonia even admitted that there is a possibility that it might appear in one of her restaurants.

Here’s how to make Chef Antonia Lofaso’s best tartar sauce recipe.

Crispy Shrimp with Tartar Sauce by Chef Antonia Lofaso

• Shrimp dressed in Wallaby Organic Whole Milk Yogurt tartar sauce with capers, dill, lemon, pickled fresno chiles & herbs

Shrimp & Breading

Ingredients

• 16-20 cleaned and peeled shrimp, tail on
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs lightly pulsed in a food processor with 2T Old Bay seasoning
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs whipped raw
• 5 cups peanut oil (or any oil if you’re comfortable shallow frying)
• Salt

Procedure

• Heat oil to 350 degrees in a 14-inch saute pan. Dip each shrimp individually in flour then egg then panko. Fry shrimp on both sides about 2-3 minutes each until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with a pinch of salt.

Tartar Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 cups Wallaby Organic Whole Milk Plain Yogurt
• 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and grated
• 1T capers roughly chopped
• 3T chopped dill
• 2T chopped Italian parsley
• 2T finely chopped shallots
• Juice of a whole ripe lemon plus 1T lemon zest
• 1 whole Persian cucumber, grated and excess water squeezed
• Salt and black pepper

Procedure

• Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and reserve.

Pickled Fresno Chiles

Ingredients

• 2 fresno chiles sliced thin on a mandolin
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1t salt
• 1t sugar

Procedure

• Heat the sugar, salt and vinegar in a small, 1 quart pot until it starts to simmer and solids dissolve. Pour mixture over the chiles. Allow pickled chiles to cool in the fridge until cold.

Herbs

• 1 cup equal parts pickled fresno chiles, dill, torn basil, flat leaf parsley

Dish Assembly

• Add a dollop of the Wallaby Organic Whole Milk tartar sauce on a plate and place 5 shrimp on top. Garnish with pickled fresno chiles and herbs. Serve with your favorite chips – Chef Antonia’s are salt & vinegar!

Have you ever thought about using yogurt in a tartar sauce? Are you excited to try this recipe?