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Cool slaw

Classic cole slaw, made fresh, dresses up the picnic table.

By Janet Keeler, Times Food and Travel Editor
Published June 27, 2007

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	Make flavorful cole slaw for your Fourth of July cookout. Keep it crunchy by dressing it just hours before the party.
[Times photo: Scott Keeler]

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More often than not, cole slaw is a pitiful reminder of unrealized potential.

The saddest examples are soupy shards of cabbage mingled with rumpled carrot bits, maybe even wayward raisins. Milky dressing, pooled 2 inches deep at the bottom of the serving bowl, is tangy-sweet, which isn't bad until it creeps under everything on your plate.

Fish houses and sandwich joints corral the slaw by heaping spoonfuls in plastic cups to nestle alongside your entree. No doubt many cups are still full at the end of the meal.

So why even bother?

Here's why: Made well, cole slaw has the delicious snap of a side dish well-suited for ribs, hot dogs, hamburgers and grilled chicken.

If that sounds like Fourth of July fare, that's because it is. An Asian slaw with salted peanuts is lovely alongside those teriyaki or honey barbecue wings you'll be ordering for takeout for your Independence Day party.

Cole slaw can be more than an accompaniment, too. Heap it on top of a plump grilled hot dog or between two buns with shredded barbecue pork. You can buy that also. That's good eating, especially when there is an ice-cold slice of watermelon nearby.

A European import

Cole slaw, often mistakenly called cold slaw, has roots in the Netherlands, but don't let its status as an immigrant keep it from the table on this most American holiday. After all, we are a nation of immigrants and our food is no exception.

Shredded cabbage salads are also popular in Asia, especially Korea, where a fiery fermented slaw called kimchi is said to stimulate the appetite. Or spur the need for large pitchers of water.

In the American South, shredded cabbage salads are simply called slaw, and they might contain broccoli as often as cabbage.

Perfecting cole slaw

The reason that cole slaw gets so drippy is that cabbage is mostly water. Once grated or shredded, cabbage starts to release liquid and that, along with the dressing, pools in the bowl.

The longer it sits, the more liquid will be created. Cook's Illustrated magazine, the manual of exhaustive recipe testing, suggests salting the cabbage after shredding and letting it drain in a colander before using. (Much the same way eggplant is prepared before making eggplant Parmesan.) However, this technique, the editors readily admit, takes away some of the veggie's snap.

The simplest way to deal with excessive liquid is to serve slaw with a slotted spoon. Another idea is to dump the cole slaw into a colander over a bowl, let the watery dressing drain off and then return the salad to a serving bowl. There will still be plenty of flavor and you won't have liquid seeping all over plates.

Better than all this effort is to make the salad no more than two hours before serving. This is enough time for ingredients to meld and absorb the flavor of the dressing but not enough for the cabbage to release all its liquid.

Also, a quick slaw will preserve the cabbage's snap.

Customized cabbage

How you cut your cabbage is a matter of taste. Some like it shredded fine and the food processor can help with that. I like bigger pieces so I cut the cabbage by hand with a large chef's knife.

You can buy bags of shredded cabbage (or broccoli) but I find the stringy shreds dry sometimes. You'll get a fresher-tasting salad if you take the time to cut the cabbage yourself.

I am no fan of pineapple or raisins in slaw, but I do like to add red cabbage for color and its naturally peppery flavor. I make the dressing from scratch because I find prepared varieties too sweet and overly heavy on mayonnaise flavor. It just takes a few minutes to make the dressing and several of the ingredients (mayo, mustard, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar) are pantry items.

The accompanying recipe from Food Network stalwart Emeril Lagasse is a winner. Diced green peppers stay crunchy no matter how long the salad sits. Shredded onion adds depth, though oddly without too much heat. Don't shy away from the 4 teaspoons of celery seed in the dressing; it's not too much.

This Fourth of July, make the cole slaw yourself and your guests will finally get a taste of the real deal.

Janet K. Keeler can be reached at (727) 893-8586 or jkeeler@sptimes.com. Read her recipe blog, Stir Crazy, at www.blogs.tampabay.com/food.

 

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Coleslaw for a Crowd

For dressing:

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons buttermilk

4 teaspoons celery seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

For salad:

3 cups shredded green cabbage (about 1/2 head cabbage)

3 cups shredded red cabbage (about 1/2 head cabbage)

1 large carrot, peeled and shredded

1/2 cup grated yellow onion

1 green bell pepper, finely diced

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

- In large bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar, buttermilk, celery seeds, salt, pepper and cayenne. Whisk to combine.

- With food processor or hand-held grater, shred cabbages, carrot and onion. (You can also cut the cabbages by hand in larger pieces.)

- Add to bowl with diced bell pepper and minced parsley.

- Toss well to combine.

- Chill, covered in refrigerator until time to serve.

- Better when it has chilled, but be sure to toss again before serving as dressing sinks to the bottom. Makes 10 servings.

Source: Emeril Lagasse

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Sweet & Sour Slaw

For dressing:

1/3 cup rice vinegar or cider vinegar

1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter (smooth also acceptable)

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon soy sauce (used low sodium)

1 teaspoon oriental sesame seed oil

For salad:

7 to 8 cups (about 1 1/4 pounds) shredded green cabbage

Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

1/2 cup dry roasted, unsalted peanuts, coarsely chopped

- Place dressing ingredients in blender, and process them on low until well mixed.

- About 1 hour before serving, place the dressing in a large bowl and gradually add all the shredded cabbage, tossing well to mix. Stir in red pepper flakes (if you are using them). Cover bowl, chill for 1 hour, tossing it every now and then. Sprinkle with peanuts before serving.

Source: The Good Food Gourmet by Jane Brody (Bantam, 1992)

 

 

 

[Last modified June 26, 2007, 11:00:16]

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