White Sauce (Alabama)

Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Que, in upstate Decatur, Alabama, has been a popular local hangout since 1925, famous for its innovative barbecue sauce for smoked chicken. This is not what everyone thinks of when they think of barbecue sauce. It is white, first of all. And it is not sweet. Not everyone likes it, and it doesn't work well on pork or beef. But it's very nice on chicken, an American classic, and worth a try if you love barbecue. If you don't like it on chicken, it's just fine on coleslaw. This is the authentic recipe from Big Bob.

¾ cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¼ cup apple juice
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. prepared horseradish from a jar (either in vinegar or creamy)
1 Tbsp. black pepper, coarsely ground
1 tsp. dry mustard powder
¼ tsp. Morton’s coarse kosher salt
½ tsp. cayenne pepper

Whisk together all the ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate in a jar for at least 2 hours, if possible, to allow the flavours to meld.

Makes approximately 1¾ cups of sauce, enough for 2 large chickens or 3 Cornish game hens, which serves 4-6 people.