Everyone has their own recipe for Slaw…. For years, Deb and I would grate cabbage, carrots (just enough for some color), and onions to combine with one of those bottled coleslaw dressings (like Marzetti.) I never could love that taste, and was convinced that most slaws served in restaurants were better.
In fact, once or twice we resorted to purchasing slaw from KFC, which has a nice clean and fresh sweetness. People did not seem disappointed with that solution.
Back at home, I remained in the desperate stages of coleslaw depression, even falling into the trap of purchasing bags of pre-cut slaw mix to combine with bottled dressing. That was the worst. I don’t like the super coarse texture or the way pre-cut cabbage heals over to form a skin toughening each morsel. You can tell when food service providers have come to this point, to the convenience of slaw mix. No amount of vinegar, sugar, mayo, relish, or even pineapple and other exotic ingredients can rescue a slaw that was cut and packaged in some distant land, some days before.
I hadn’t found “my” slaw, and was a bit challenged when people would rapture over a coleslaw version at some seafood shanty or barbecue dive. It was time for the home-grown coleslaw, the grudgingly assembled relish, to grow up. I asked a lot of cooks about their own formulas, and the answers were across the board – often with vinegars and sugar. Thinking back to the fresh, clean taste of the KFC slaw, I investigated copy-cat recipes.
The one ingredient I hadn’t given much attention, the one specifically mentioned in KFC copy-versions, was fresh lemon juice. But it wasn’t just my taste. Each family member has a different idea. Deb doesn’t like pickle juice, or that vinegary pickle taste. Grandfather liked everything to taste sweet. Others wanted a creamy version.
Over a few iterations, I came to the composition recorded here; it involves a few ingredients and rules.
- grate the cabbage. I use a box grater, or preferentially, a table-top rotary grater
- limit the carrot, grating it using the same panel as with the cabbage (one small carrot to a half head of cabbage), so as not to dominate the flavor
- add no sweet relish. If sweet relish is wanted (which I prefer), split the final product and add relish to make a second dish
- squeeze fresh lemon juice over the grated cabbage and carrot, just enough to “brighten” the taste, not enough to overwhelm the dish (maybe a small lemon, or half of a large Eureka for a half head of cabbage)
- add red onion if you wish, either finely cut or thinly sliced. It isn’t crucial.
- mix in some confectioner’s sugar, about a quarter cup lightly swept for half a small head of cabbage. I found that granulated sugar doesn’t always dissolve fully, which makes for an unpleasant texture.
- add and combine some Miracle Whip, not enough to make the slaw really creamy – maybe half a cup or less
- pour in a bit of heavy cream (if available), just a tablespoon or two
- season with salt and white pepper, to taste.
- refrigerate to serve cold and crisp. Set a pretty serving bowl and spoon on the table, which will be a reminder to retrieve the slaw from the fridge at the last minute.
Link to this Page: https://botanyincontext.com/coleslaw/