Jim’s Coleslaw • Pennsylvania Recipe
WHAT KIND OF SALAD DOES one most often find next to their sandwich at most diners and restaurants? Another hint: It is packaged in just about every clamshell to-go (take-away, for you Brits) container, adding value to the entrée, along with your chips, rings, and fries.
You’ve probably figured it out from the title or the pictures. Why are we discussing slaw? Slaw is good for you. It is easy to make. So today, we’ll cover the basic slaw recipe. With pictures!
Buy a nice clean head of cabbage. Look at the base. If it is seriously discolored, it has been sitting for weeks or more. Visit a produce market with lots of foot traffic. An average medium head is about three pounds. Shedding the outside leaves at the market, before paying, will save you a little money, as most people throw away the bruised and dirty outer leaves.
After sectioning and removing the core, we’ve dropped about half a pound. For this amount of cabbage, we’ll use 1.5x the dressing recipe, as opposed to 2.5 (one unit of dressing per pound cabbage). This makes for a tastier, lighter slaw. Hey, tell your guests they have two choices: take it or leave it. Besides, it is healthier. One can add a little more salt or pepper if they want to punch it up.
It’s been thrown through the Cuisinart, along with a few carrots. In a mixing cup, we’ve combined 3 tbs each sugar and tarragon-infused white wine vinegar, a couple tsp each salt and celery seed (we faked it with celery salt for this batch), a little white pepper (or regular pepper if it is all you have), a SMALL dash of yellow mustard, and as much mayonnaise as you can scoop onto a tablespoon. Add a little more mayo if you want, but not too much more. Whisk until liquid and solids combine.
A large Tupperware® is great for mixing. Pour about half the dressing on the cabbage, close the container, and shake it up. TASTE IT NOW. You’ll notice it tastes like . . . cabbage. And needs salt. That is good. It means you are paying attention. Add another quarter, shake, and you’ll probably add the rest of the mixture. CAUTION: Do not add your dressing all at once. A spicier dressing due to heavy hand on the seasonings, or less shredded cabbage than anticipated, can change the end product. Add, mix, taste. Add, mix, taste.
Fridge it for a few hours, clean up, and turn it over before serving. Bon Appétit
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