Coleslaw

From the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis

Introduction

Good American food, coleslaw is unfussy and always a welcome addition to a meal of burgers, ribs, hot dogs, or any other soul-satisfying foods. We have chosen a lightly creamy-style slaw as our basic with a variation of an oil and vinegar dressing. This is an easy recipe to double to take to a potluck.

Ingredients

Dressing

Steps

1. Remove any tough, outer leaves from the head of cabbage, rinse it, and drain. Using a chefs knife, cut head in quarters and place on cutting board. Remove white center core and discard, then cut cabbage in thin shreds, about ¼ inch thick or less. Place cabbage in a large mixing bowl and add sliced scallions and chopped parsley.
2. Mix all the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl, blend with a whisk, and then pour over cabbage. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours before serving. (We like our slaw well chilled.)

Notes

• We prefer the texture of coleslaw whose cabbage is cut by hand with a chef’s knife. You can use a hand grater or the grater attachment to a food processor, but we think this makes a watery product.
• Toss cabbage, scallions, and parsley mixture with your favorite oil and vinegar dressing. Particularly good are those made with a quality red wine vinegar and a pinch of sugar.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, Kathleen Taggart, and Georgia Vareldzis.