How to make delicious homemade Chive Sauce in 5 Minutes

Chive sauce is traditionally served with apple horseradish as a side dish with Tafelspitz (Austrian prime boiled beef) and roasted potatoes (Erdäpfelschmarrn).

Furthermore, it pairs well with charcuterie boards, raw vegetable boards, grilled and cooked meats of all kinds, fish (especially salmon or smoked haddock), wraps, potatoes, and stuffed puff pastry strudel.

Learn in the following recipe how to prepare this authentic Austrian chive sauce easily and quickly at home.

Why will you love this mustard chive sauce?

This chive sauce is wonderfully creamy and refreshing with a distinctive chive flavor. Thanks to the quick preparation, it is always quickly at hand and can be combined with a decidedly large number of dishes. 

🥘 Ingredients

• ¾ Cup Crème Fraîche 15 % Fat
• 1 tablespoon Mustard (e.g. Tarragon, Grill, or Dijon mustard)
• Salt to season to taste
• ½ Bunch of Fresh Chives 

Fresh, dried, or frozen chives?

Always use a fresh chive. A dried chive will never develop the flavor as a fresh chive and tends to appear woody and bland in this sauce. 

Frozen chive works quite well after thawing. I had also used it several times when I had no fresh at hand. 

Chives vs. Garlic Chives

The main difference between garlic chives and chives — also called onion chives — is the flavor, which is also the difference that will be a priority for most people. Garlic chives have a garlic flavor; similarly, chives have an onion flavor. The garlic chives flavor and aroma is quite strong, but the flavor of chives is known for being a particularly subtle version of the onion taste.

The bulb of the garlic chive plant is fibrous and inedible; usually, only the green tops get used. In comparison, the entire stalk of the chive plant is edible.

The edible green part of garlic chives is flat like blades of grass. Chives stalks are hollow like the green parts of scallions stalks.

Source: Spiceography.com

🍽 Equipment

• Cutting board
• One Tablespoon
• Small Bowl
• Kitchen Knife

🔪 Instructions

Prepare this chive sauce in a few simple steps. 

First, wash half a bunch of chives and chop them. 

Put the creme fraiche in a small bowl, add a tablespoon of mustard. Then it's the chives' turn. Add the chopped chives. Stir the sauce and mix the ingredients until the mustard blends well with the creme fraiche and chives. 

Season to taste with salt, and that's it. Your delicious creamy mustard chive sauce, prepared in minutes, is ready! 

Delicious! I love such quick recipes! 😍

This chive sauce makes also a great dip for baked fish finger!

📖 Variations

If you find the chive sauce with crème fraîche only too creamy, you can quickly remedy the situation. Instead of 7.05 oz (200 g) of crème fraîche, use only 3.53 oz (100 g) and add another 3.53 oz (100 g) of natural yogurt.

This change makes the chive sauce a little more liquid, but also tangier in flavor. I call this the "summer version." Very trendy is this version for grilling at my family home. 

More substitutes for Creme Fraiche - What can you use instead?

• Greek Yogurt
• Soy-Based sour cream 
• Sour Cream
• Ricotta

More delicious recipes for you to try

• Homemade Chickpea Spread (Hummus)
• Liptauer Cheese Spread
• Apfelkren (Austrian Horseradish Sauce)
• Egg Salad
• Christmas Charcuterie Board
• Red Pepper Crema (created by keeshaskitchen.com)

📖 Recipe

⛑️ Food Safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

For further information, check Safe Food Handling - FDA.