Dear Eric: Could you publish some different ways to make coleslaw. David
Dear David: The word “coleslaw” is derived from the Dutch word koolsla, which is formed from kool, meaning cabbage, and sla, meaning salad. Dutch immigrants brought this salad to our continent and, according to the Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, the first reference in print occurred around 1785.
In North America coleslaw eventually became and still is just about everyone’s favourite side salad. It’s an ideal accompaniment for ribs, burgers, fried chicken, fish and chips and a whole lot more.
The two main types of this salad are creamy coleslaw and sweet-and-sour coleslaw.
Creamy coleslaw is tossed with a creamy looking dressing that is usually mayonnaise-based. Sweet and sour coleslaw is dressed with such things as oil, sugar or other sweetener, and vinegar or other acidic liquid. The latter two ingredients, of course, provide the sweet-and-sour taste.
All kinds of other ingredients — chopped vegetables, fruit, nuts and more — can be added to these two basic coleslaw styles. That’s why this salad is fun to make as each time out you can come up with a new and tasty version of it.
To showcase that idea, I’ve tossed together three coleslaws for David to try.
One is a sweet and sour red cabbage coleslaw, richly flavoured with bits of blue cheese, nuts and thinly sliced dried apricots. It would be a nice side dish for meaty barbecued beef back ribs, rotisserie chicken or anything else you think a crisp salad with a hint of blue cheese would complement.
My second coleslaw is a creamy Asian-style version. Its dressing is flavoured with sesame seeds, ginger, hot sauce and soy sauce. Its taste is similar to that addictive steak sauce served in Japanese teppanyaki restaurants. I like to pile this coleslaw alongside grilled prawns or fish, such as salmon, and teriyaki-sauce-marinated and grilled chicken, pork or beef.
My last recipe demonstrates that this style of salad can also have another vegetable be its anchor ingredient. Instead of cabbage, I used thin slices of crisp, licorice-tasting fresh fennel bulb. I called it rainbow fennel slaw because of the colourful mix of ingredients I tossed with the fennel, which included carrots, cranberries and yellow bell pepper. Try serving this salad alongside grilled lamb chops or kebabs, whole barbecued salmon, and lemon-, herb-, garlic- and olive oil-flavoured grilled chicken breast or thighs.
Red Cabbage Coleslaw with Apricots, Blue Cheese and Nuts
This sweet-and-sour-tasting purple/red coleslaw is richly strewn with bits of sliced dried apricots, tangy cheese and rich nuts.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: None
Makes: 8 to 10 servings
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp Dijon mustard
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 cups shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup pecan or walnut pieces
8 dried apricots, very thinly sliced
100 grams blue cheese, crumbled
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 large celery rib, cut in half lengthwise, and then thinly sliced widthwise
Combine the first five ingredients in a salad bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, toss to combine and serve.
Asian-style Coleslaw with Sriracha and Peanuts
This tasty coleslaw is flavoured Asian-style, with such things as hot sauce, soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil.
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: a few minutes
Makes: 8 to 10 servings
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 tsp Sriracha, or to taste (see Note)
2 Tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted (see note)
1 tsp sesame oil
4 cups shredded green, Chinese or Savoy cabbage
1/2 cup coarsely grated carrot
1 1/2 cups fresh beans sprouts, coarsely chopped
1/2 small red bell pepper, finely diced
1/3 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Combine the first six ingredients in a salad bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, toss to combine and serve.
Note: To toast the sesame seeds, place them in a non-stick skillet set over medium heat. Cook the seeds, swirl the pan from time to time until lightly toasted, about three to four minutes.
Sriracha is a smooth, Asian-style hot sauce sold in squeeze bottles in the Asian foods aisle of most supermarkets.
Rainbow Fennel Slaw
Licorice-like tasting fennel thinly sliced and tossed with a colourful rainbow of ingredients, such as carrot, yellow pepper, green onion and cranberries.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: None
Makes: 8 servings
4 cups thinly sliced fresh fennel bulb (see note)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp ground cumin
• pinch cayenne pepper
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp chopped fresh fennel fronds (see note)
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 medium yellow bell pepper, cut into thin, 1-inch strips
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Place the fennel in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice. Add the remaining ingredients, toss to combine and serve.
Note: Two medium fresh fennel bulbs should yield the amount of sliced fennel required for this recipe. To prepare it, remove the bottom, centre core of each fennel bulb. Now trim off the tougher, top portions, saving the fronds, the frilly green leaves.
Chop enough fronds to get the 2 Tbsp required for the recipe. Save, bag and refrigerate any remaining fronds, if desired, to flavour or garnish another dish.
Cut each cleaned fennel bulb, lengthwise, into quarters. Cut each quartered piece, widthwise, into very thin slices with a knife, mandolin or food processor, until you have the amount required for this recipe.
Eric Akis is the author of the hardcover book Everyone Can Cook Everything. His columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
