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By Times staff writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published May 23, 2001
Tossed together with nary a thought, taken for granted on the picnic table, coleslaw isn't something to get excited about.
This dish, which reportedly came to us from the Pennsylvania Dutch (kool meaning cabbage), is basically just cabbage and mayo, but some of the foods coleslaw partners with on that red-checkered tablecloth are very appealing, indeed, especially if you are looking for something to take to a Memorial Day party. Platters of fresh, crispy chicken and fried fish, burgers or hot dogs, or smoky brisket and sausage all deserve a stand-up coleslaw on the side to deliver a tangy punch and crunch of texture.
What interferes with this picture, of course, is soggy coleslaw or coleslaw with nasty extraneous ingredients in it such as pineapple chunks or raisins -- or coleslaw with too much mustard in it or pickle relish.
What are the basic steps to get to a good slaw that won't slump when dressed or a dressing that doesn't turn to water and sink to the bottom of the bowl?
Mix mayonnaise with sour cream, add maybe a half teaspoon of vinegar and a pinch of sugar and salt, toss it with shredded cabbage (not soaked, not salted, not drained, just shredded) with a little carrot and red cabbage and be done with it. It holds up a day or so in the fridge. The dressing is not too sweet, another coleslaw sin that ruins a perfect salad.
For more scientific answers, though, turn to The Perfect Recipe (Houghton Mifflin, $27) by Pam Anderson, executive editor of Cook's Illustrated magazine.
Here is Anderson's approach to making a good, creamy coleslaw:
Use a slicing blade. For making large batches of slaw, she recommends using the slicing blade of the food processor. For small batches or for those who don't own a food processor, she recommends coring the cabbage, stacking the leaves and slicing thinly on the diagonal.
Salt and let drain. Some like to soak the cut cabbage in ice water to make it crisp. Anderson found that cabbage treated in this method wilted more quickly and also that dressing didn't adhere to it. Her recommendation is a process of salting the cabbage and letting it drain and wilt somewhat, then giving it a quick rinse in ice water and draining well before dressing.
Use vinegar for tartness instead of lemon. Anderson discovered that lemon juice didn't have the depth of flavor vinegar has.
If you don't like the dressing too tart, add a little bit of seasoned rice wine vinegar in place of the cider vinegar. It's less acidic. However, she warns, use rice wine vinegar only if you're going to be serving the slaw that day -- the flavor seems to diminish by the next day.
Use sour cream. If you want to make a creamy dressing with sour cream, add less than the usual amount of mayonnaise and add that much sour cream.
Serve it cold. If your coleslaw is successful, it should keep in the refrigerator for up to five days.
11/2 pounds cabbage, shredded 1/8-inch thick
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Place cabbage in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until well-chilled. Mix sugar, vinegar and salt in a small bowl. Add to cabbage and toss well. Add cream and toss again. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; serve. Serves 10-12.
Source: www.about.com.
11/4 small red onions
32/3 cups finely shredded green cabbage
32/3 cups finely shredded red cabbage
3 carrots, peeled and grated
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon and 1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
13/4 teaspoons mustard seeds
Salt to taste
Peel the onions and halve lengthwise. Thinly slice onion halves. Place onion in a bowl of ice water and let soak for 5 minutes. Drain well in colander.
In a large heatproof bowl, toss together the green and red cabbage, onion, carrot and vinegar.
In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over moderate heat until it is hot but not smoking. Add the caraway and mustard seeds and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1-3 minutes or until the mustard seeds stop popping. Drizzle the hot oil mixture immediately over the cabbage mixture and toss the coleslaw well. Add salt to taste and toss again. Serves 6.
Source: www.about.com.
1 large head green cabbage (or 20 ounces packaged shredded cabbage)
8 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted
2 packages Chinese Ramen noodles, uncooked (discard flavor packets)
Rice Wine Vinaigrette to taste (recipe below)
Toasted sliced almonds for garnish (optional)
Just before serving, combine cabbage, green onions, almonds, sesame seeds and Ramen noodles and toss with enough dressing to moisten. Serves 8.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
1 cup salad oil
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
Mix the oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper together and toss with coleslaw. Serves 8.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
1 tablespoon minced fresh shallot
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 head napa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 small head radicchio, halved and 1 head frisee lettuce, white part only
1/3 cup olive oil, or to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine shallot, sugar and vinegar in a small bowl and let sit 1 hour. Toss with greens. Add oil, salt and pepper to taste. Allow to marinate at least 10 minutes.
Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt to taste
3/4 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
Slaw:
1 ear of corn
1 jicama root, about 1/2 pound, peeled and julienned
1 small head savoy cabbage, sliced
1 papaya or mango, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
To make the dressing, combine lime juice, mayonnaise, chili powder and salt in a medium-size glass or ceramic bowl. With a whisk or an immersion blender incorporate the canola oil. Stir in the cilantro and jalapeno.
To make the slaw, cook the ear of corn in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool; cut the kernels from the cob. In a large serving bowl toss the kernels, jicama, savoy cabbage, papaya or mango and red bell pepper with the dressing. Serves 10.
Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution.