Tuesday 13 May 2008

A super slaw


In desperation about what to do with my remaining cabbage in this hot weather I made a coleslaw - and it was some slaw! Recipe below but it also used up one of the veg box carrots, some leftover fennel and herbs and half of one of the two rather sad-looking apples in the fruit bowl. We had it with some cold pork - the remains of Sunday night's roast - and, I'm embarrassed to admit, scoffed the lot. (In the case of my husband with some eye-wateringly hot Hyderabadi chutney)

Ready-made coleslaw is so dire, so over-mayonnaisey, that you forget what a cracking salad it can be. Perfect for a barbecue. Perfect for using up leftovers.

Serves 4

1/2 a good quality cabbage e.g. Hispi or Savoy
1/2 a small onion or 3-4 spring onions
1 medium carrot, trimmed and peeled
Fennel trimmings or 1 stick of celery
1/2 an apple
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 heaped tbsp mayonnaise
2 heaped tbsp plain yoghurt
2 heaped tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, dill or tarragon
Salt and pepper

Remove the central core and outer leaves from the cabbage and shred finely. Tip into a bowl of iced water and leave while you prepare the other vegetables. Peel and finely chop the onion (or trim and slice the spring onions), grate the carrot, finely slice the fennel (and chop the leaves if you have some), chop the apple and toss it in lemon juice. Mix the yoghurt and mayonnaise. Drain the cabbage thoroughly and put it in a bowl with the other vegetables. Tip in the yoghurt and herbs and toss together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and leave the slaw in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour then toss again, scatter with a few more chopped herbs and serve.

2 comments:

Career Misfit said...

Coleslaw is one of those awkward foods that, when done correctly, is a wonderful, tasty addition to either a warm or cold meal. Done wrong, it can be slimy, horrible and really detract from what you're eating. When I'm ordering from a pub menu I find I'm extra picky when it comes to eating coleslaw: it has to be fresh, contain plenty of carrot, and preferably be chilled, otherwise it gets left well alone.

Fiona Beckett said...

Yes, you do need that time in the fridge otherwise it doesn't work. In extremis I have added a bit of grated carrot and/or apple to a shop-bought slaw and it's improved it no end.

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