Coleslaw is ubiquitous. Found as a side in nearly every fast food restaurant, deli, chicken joint and burger shak, but good coleslaw is another thing all together.
I grew up in a family with little in the way of "discretionary funds". There were six of us, a dog, a bird, all the relatives at holiday time, and one very modest income. There were no bags of chopped salad or bottled salad dressing - let alone pre-prepared refrigerated salads from the supermarket - on our shopping list.
We were very lucky. Because of our circumstance and a mother who was (and still is) a maven in the kitchen - able to produce miracles in the kitchen with the simplest ingredients - I learned how to make everything from scratch, including coleslaw.
In our house, coleslaw was called "cabbage salad". The term coleslaw was actually reserved for the special cabbage salad we we had for summer BBQ's. That recipe involved mayonnaise (which requires eggs) or boiled dressing, thus the "specialness".
So in honor of Mom who started me on this journey...
Coleslaw 3 Ways
Mom's Cabbage Salad
Ingredients:
1 medium head, very firm and very fresh green cabbage
2 carrots - snubbed nose preferred
1 medium white onion
1/3 cup (80 ml) plain white vinegar
1/3 cup (75 grams) white sugar
2/3 cup (160 ml) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
Directions:
Remove outer leaves of cabbage
Cut cabbage in quarters
Place in ice water bath for 1-2 hours
Remove cabbage quarters and shake off excess water
Using a very sharp knife place the cabbage on an angle (like a block of parmesan) and shave the cabbage into paper thin slices
Peel onion and cut into radial, thin, slices and add to cabbage
Peel carrots and grate on on small gauge and add to a cabbage
Mix vinegar, salt, garlic salt and sugar until sugar is dissolved
Add oil
Pour dressing over salad
Add pepper and toss
Serve immediately
Salad can be refrigerated for several hours if necessary
A purple version of this salad with red cabbage and red onion (no carrot) is also recommended to change it up a bit
BT's Asian Slaw
Ingredients:
1 /2 medium head, very firm and very fresh green cabbage
1 /2 medium head, very firm and very fresh red cabbage
1 medium white onion
1 red chili
1/3 cup (80 ml) mirin
1/4 cup (55 grams) white sugar
1 teaspoon sake
1/2 cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon toasted black sesame seeds
Directions:
Remove outer leaves of cabbage
Cut cabbage in quarters
Place in ice water bath for 1-2 hours
Remove cabbage quarters and shake off excess water
Using a very sharp knife place the cabbage on an angle (like a block of parmesan) and shave the cabbage into paper thin slices
Peel onion and cut into radial, thin, slices and add to cabbage
Slice chili into small rings - seeds and veins included - add to cabbage
Mix mirin, salt, black pepper, and sugars until sugars is dissolved
Add vegetable oil
Pour dressing over salad
Toss
Add sesame oil and sesame seeds and toss again
Serve immediately
Salad can be refrigerated for several hours if necessary
BT's Special BBQ Coleslaw
(Salad can be dressed in Mayonnaise or Boiled Dressing)
Ingredients:
1 medium head, very firm and very fresh green cabbage
1 carrots - snubbed nose preferred
1 green apple
1 fennel bulb
1 medium white onion
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
2 and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions for Salad:
Remove outer leaves of cabbage
Cut cabbage in quarters
Place in ice water bath for 1-2 hours
Remove cabbage quarters and shake off excess water
Using a very sharp knife place the cabbage on an angle (like a block of parmesan) and shave the cabbage into paper thin slices
Place cabbage in sieve over bowl and salt with 2 teaspoons kosher salt
Leave for 1 hour
Thoroughly rinse salt and let dry
Peel onion and cut into radial, thin, slices
Slice fennel into very fine slices
Grate apple and carrot on medium gauge
Combine cabbage, apple, carrot, onion and fennel in bowl
Dress salad with either dressing below
Toss and serve immediately
Ingredients for Mayonnaise Dressing:
2/3 cup homemade mayonnaise
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
Combine vinegar, mustard, cayenne, sugar and salt until sugar and salt dissolve
In a separate bowl combine mayonnaise and heavy cream
Slowly add vinegar mixture to mayonnaise mixture
Cool
Ingredients for Boiled Dressing:
(This is a recipe that was shared in rural Saskatchewan)
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard powder
3 tablespoon flour
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
Directions for Boiled Dressing:
Whisk together egg yolks, mustard powder, flour, cayenne, vinegar and water
Place bowl over boiling water and cook until sauce thickens (coasts the back of a spoon)
Remove from heat and whisk in butter
Add milk
Season with salt, pepper and celery salt
Cool
Enjoy! !בתיאבון
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