Kevin’s coleslaw made me think of my mother’s recipe, the one I make most of the time. Hope you enjoy it.
Rita
MY MAMA'S BEST COLESLAW
Makes about 8 cups. The cabbage mixture can be tossed with the dressing 1 day ahead. For North Carolina pulled pork sandwiches, add some Lexington-Style Barbecue Sauce. This recipe works best with fresh cabbage, rather than a coleslaw mix. If you must use a bagged mix, skip the wilting stage, toss with the dressing, add salt to taste, and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
Buy a 2 3/4-pound (44 oz) head cabbage (save large outside leaves to line a serving bowl), quarter and core it, and shred with the 2 mm blade of a processor (Makes about 2 1/2 pounds [40 oz, 1134 g] shredded cabbage)
3 ounces (85 g) medium-shredded carrots (about 2 large)
1/2 large green pepper, 1/2 inch dice or chopped (save 3 pepper rings for garnish, if desired)
1 thin slice onion, chopped
5 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt OR 3 3/4 teaspoons Morton kosher salt, OR 2 1/2 teaspoons table salt
2/3 of any one of the dressing variations below
1. In a large (5–8-quart) bowl, combine the green pepper, onion, carrots, and cabbage. Toss with the salt. Transfer to a large colander and set the colander back in the same bowl. Weight the vegetables with a 1-gallon freezer-weight zippy bag 3/4 filled with cold water. Let stand for at least 2 hours, or up to 4 hours, to drain. Discard the juices from the bowl occasionally.
NOTE: With this method, you won’t have to squeeze out the excess liquid from the salted vegetables.
2. Taste the cabbage mixture and if it seems salty, give it a rinse with cold water. Drain and squeeze out excess liquid.
Fluff the vegetables, then pour 2/3 of the dressing over them. Toss to mix well. If necessary, add remaining dressing.
Leftover dressing may be used on tossed salads (see Notes below for additional uses). Thin with buttermilk if too thick. If not quite enough dressing, add a bit of mayonnaise.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. After 2 hours, taste for seasoning. Add salt and/or lemon juice, if necessary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Choice of Dressings:
#1 - ORIGINAL COLESLAW DRESSING.
1 large egg
1/8 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (Colman's is very good)
1 teaspoon coarse Dijon mustard (Country Style)
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
A grind of white pepper
1 medium clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 green onions, white and some of the green parts, in 1-inch pieces
1. Place egg, tarragon, mustards, celery seed, white pepper, garlic, sugar, lemon juice, and vinegar in a food processor bowl. With the processor running, very slowly drizzle the oil through the feed tube and process until the dressing is slightly thickened. Scrape down the sides and process briefly again to blend well. The dressing will thicken more as it stands. Add the green onions to the dressing and pulse until they are finely chopped, but not puréed. Set the dressing aside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#2 - COLESLAW DRESSING MADE WITH COMMERCIAL MAYONNAISE
This one is moderately low fat if you use Hellmann’s Light mayonnaise. Combine ingredients and let stand, refrigerated, until needed to toss into the cabbage mixture.
1 cup homemade mayonnaise, OR 1 cup (7.8 oz, 220g) Hellmann’s regular mayonnaise
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon coarse Dijon mustard (Country Style)
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/16 teaspoon dried tarragon
A grind of white pepper
2 green onions, minced
1 medium clove garlic, minced
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# 3 - LOWEST FAT, BUT STILL CREAMY, COLESLAW DRESSING. (1 1/4 cups)
(This is the dressing that I use most of the time.) Combine ingredients and let stand, refrigerated, until needed to toss into the cabbage mixture.
1/2 cup Homemade Light Mayonnaise, OR 1/2 cup (4.2 oz, 120g) Hellmann’s Light mayonnaise
1/2 cup (4.2 oz, 120g) reduced fat (40%) sour cream
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon coarse Dijon mustard (Country Style)
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/16 teaspoon dried tarragon
A grind of white pepper
2 green onions, minced
1 medium clove garlic, minced
NOTE. The coleslaw, especially when made with the #3 Lowfat Dressing, should NOT be served right away. It is important to let the coleslaw stand in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight for the flavors to develop properly. No one would guess this variation is so low in fat—the coleslaw is quite creamy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTES: One of our highly esteemed members suggests that this would be good as an accompaniment to many things: ”…but I can really see it with grilled or seared fish, especially a thick white fish like dolphin or halibut. A little extra dressing could be made and painted on the fish while it grilled, served on a bed of grilled fennel and grilled radicchio on one side of the plate and, perhaps drizzled with roasted red pepper coulis; your slaw piled at center and a couple grilled or roasted potato wedges flecked with a lemon zest-parsley mince.
“It would be great as a topping for grilled fish or chicken tacos as well and a wonderful side for a quiche or strata brunch plate.”
Edit: Increased draining time by 1 hour and slightly reduced salt quantity used to wilt the cabbage. - RY
Rita
MY MAMA'S BEST COLESLAW
Makes about 8 cups. The cabbage mixture can be tossed with the dressing 1 day ahead. For North Carolina pulled pork sandwiches, add some Lexington-Style Barbecue Sauce. This recipe works best with fresh cabbage, rather than a coleslaw mix. If you must use a bagged mix, skip the wilting stage, toss with the dressing, add salt to taste, and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.
Buy a 2 3/4-pound (44 oz) head cabbage (save large outside leaves to line a serving bowl), quarter and core it, and shred with the 2 mm blade of a processor (Makes about 2 1/2 pounds [40 oz, 1134 g] shredded cabbage)
3 ounces (85 g) medium-shredded carrots (about 2 large)
1/2 large green pepper, 1/2 inch dice or chopped (save 3 pepper rings for garnish, if desired)
1 thin slice onion, chopped
5 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt OR 3 3/4 teaspoons Morton kosher salt, OR 2 1/2 teaspoons table salt
2/3 of any one of the dressing variations below
1. In a large (5–8-quart) bowl, combine the green pepper, onion, carrots, and cabbage. Toss with the salt. Transfer to a large colander and set the colander back in the same bowl. Weight the vegetables with a 1-gallon freezer-weight zippy bag 3/4 filled with cold water. Let stand for at least 2 hours, or up to 4 hours, to drain. Discard the juices from the bowl occasionally.
NOTE: With this method, you won’t have to squeeze out the excess liquid from the salted vegetables.
2. Taste the cabbage mixture and if it seems salty, give it a rinse with cold water. Drain and squeeze out excess liquid.
Fluff the vegetables, then pour 2/3 of the dressing over them. Toss to mix well. If necessary, add remaining dressing.
Leftover dressing may be used on tossed salads (see Notes below for additional uses). Thin with buttermilk if too thick. If not quite enough dressing, add a bit of mayonnaise.
3. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. After 2 hours, taste for seasoning. Add salt and/or lemon juice, if necessary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Choice of Dressings:
#1 - ORIGINAL COLESLAW DRESSING.
1 large egg
1/8 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (Colman's is very good)
1 teaspoon coarse Dijon mustard (Country Style)
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
A grind of white pepper
1 medium clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 green onions, white and some of the green parts, in 1-inch pieces
1. Place egg, tarragon, mustards, celery seed, white pepper, garlic, sugar, lemon juice, and vinegar in a food processor bowl. With the processor running, very slowly drizzle the oil through the feed tube and process until the dressing is slightly thickened. Scrape down the sides and process briefly again to blend well. The dressing will thicken more as it stands. Add the green onions to the dressing and pulse until they are finely chopped, but not puréed. Set the dressing aside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#2 - COLESLAW DRESSING MADE WITH COMMERCIAL MAYONNAISE
This one is moderately low fat if you use Hellmann’s Light mayonnaise. Combine ingredients and let stand, refrigerated, until needed to toss into the cabbage mixture.
1 cup homemade mayonnaise, OR 1 cup (7.8 oz, 220g) Hellmann’s regular mayonnaise
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon coarse Dijon mustard (Country Style)
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/16 teaspoon dried tarragon
A grind of white pepper
2 green onions, minced
1 medium clove garlic, minced
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
# 3 - LOWEST FAT, BUT STILL CREAMY, COLESLAW DRESSING. (1 1/4 cups)
(This is the dressing that I use most of the time.) Combine ingredients and let stand, refrigerated, until needed to toss into the cabbage mixture.
1/2 cup Homemade Light Mayonnaise, OR 1/2 cup (4.2 oz, 120g) Hellmann’s Light mayonnaise
1/2 cup (4.2 oz, 120g) reduced fat (40%) sour cream
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon coarse Dijon mustard (Country Style)
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/16 teaspoon dried tarragon
A grind of white pepper
2 green onions, minced
1 medium clove garlic, minced
NOTE. The coleslaw, especially when made with the #3 Lowfat Dressing, should NOT be served right away. It is important to let the coleslaw stand in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight for the flavors to develop properly. No one would guess this variation is so low in fat—the coleslaw is quite creamy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
NOTES: One of our highly esteemed members suggests that this would be good as an accompaniment to many things: ”…but I can really see it with grilled or seared fish, especially a thick white fish like dolphin or halibut. A little extra dressing could be made and painted on the fish while it grilled, served on a bed of grilled fennel and grilled radicchio on one side of the plate and, perhaps drizzled with roasted red pepper coulis; your slaw piled at center and a couple grilled or roasted potato wedges flecked with a lemon zest-parsley mince.
“It would be great as a topping for grilled fish or chicken tacos as well and a wonderful side for a quiche or strata brunch plate.”
Edit: Increased draining time by 1 hour and slightly reduced salt quantity used to wilt the cabbage. - RY
