Alabama-Style White Sauce

If you are going to be dining on smoked turkey this Thanksgiving (and you really should) then you're going to need a little sauce. And nothing goes better with turkey than a classic Alabama white sauce.

This was once was a little-known regional oddity found only in northern Alabama. By all accounts it was invented by Big Bob Gibson in Decatur, Alabama, to dunk his whole split chickens in, and in recent years it has not only spread throughout the state but has been adopted across the country as the ideal condiment for smoked chicken wings and even barbecue ribs. I think it's perfect for turkey, too.

Everyone's recipe seems to be a little different, apart from the core foundation of mayonnaise and vinegar. This is the one I've taken to using, and I adapted it from a version given to me years ago by Pat Martin of Martin's Barbeque Joint in Nashville (and now a half dozen other cities). I like Pat's addition of a little minced garlic, which gives a nice zip to the finished sauce. There's always a squeeze bottle of it handy in my fridge.

Tip: if you are going to be putting this sauce in a squirt bottle, be sure to mince the garlic as finely as possible so it won't stick in the spout.