Tuesday 31 May 2016

A Slaw By Any Other Name


So what's a slaw? I recently learnt that the word coleslaw came from the Dutch word koolsla which means cabbage salad. Apparently kool = cabbage and sla = abbreviation of salade. Cool, eh?

This Balsamic Slaw is inspired by the one I had at Ampersand by Culinary Rebels. I like salads made with raw cabbage like my mum's French Salad.

But I am not very fond of purple cabbage. Why? Because it is thicker than regular cabbage and has a stronger taste. I tried it a few times and after a while, I simply gave up.

But that evening at Ampersand, I was reintroduced to purple cabbage. My partner seemed to like it and it did go very well with the ribs we ordered.

The one at Ampersand.
So, I decided that I wanted to make some Balsamic Slaw to go with my BBQ Chicken.

I basically used my mum's dressing recipe. I pounded some garlic, salt and peppercorns. Then I added honey, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar and olive oil. I find balsamic vinegar on it's own a little overpowering.


Then I tossed some purple and white cabbage with the dressing. On the benefit of hindsight, I should have added some finely diced onions for added flavor.


All that purple does look quite pretty don't you think? Not that I'm doing a belated tribute to Prince.



So there you go, my version of Balsamic Slaw which I think is quite nice too.











Balsamic Slaw
Recipe source : Phong Hong

Ingredients :
- Thinly sliced purple and white cabbage

Dressing :
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp white peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 6 tbsp olive oil

Note : This dressing is good for a few servings.

Method :
1. Finely pound garlic, peppercorns and salt.
2. Add the pounded paste with honey, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning.
3. Toss cabbage with dressing and serve.

30 comments:

  1. Funny you should mention Prince...as I had a treasure hunt (which I joined recently) question tailored to Purple Rain! :D I think a slaw offers a refreshing and crunchy bite, when eaten with ribs or fried chicken, especially if served chilled.

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    1. I used to be a fan of Prince hah! I love slaw with any kind or grilled and roasted meat.

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  2. Today I am learning Cikgu Phong Hong what is coleslaw! I had no idea where and how this word came from.
    I also disliked the purple cabbage and now you have shared the magic recipe to make them taste edible and nice! Your Prince is lucky! I think all the salad served at restaurants are meant to be eaten with the meat dishes at one go. No one taught me how to eat them.

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    1. Quite honestly, I have yet to find coleslaw that is good at restaurants or fast food joints. Maybe I am fussy.

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  3. Nah, never raw cabbage for me regardless of white or purple, tried them once and never again (at least not for the next 5 or 10 years). I'll just toss them and the dressing up in a heated pan for a bit instead. :/

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    1. Why am I not surprised? hee...hee... But I bet your mum approves of this slaw.

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  4. I don't mind whether the cabbage is purple or white. We do get some very nice coleslaw at a couple of places here and yes, I've had some using purple cabbage as well. Never tried making my own, lazy...as we do not like it THAT much as to want to go through the trouble. Besides, we do not eat western at home, usually.

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    1. Back home, my mum serves coleslaw (the creamy one) with chicken or beef curry. We love it!

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  5. Hahaha! Phong Hong, great minds think alike and do alike. I prepared a salad with this purple cabbage too. Haven't post the recipe yet. I used a mayo dressing. Must try this vinaigrette of yours next.

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    1. High 5, Kimmy! I am looking forwards to your coleslaw :)

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  6. I can't recall if i ever eat purple cabbage before, lol...

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  7. During breakfast buffet, I will opt for the purple cabbage.. why? kiasu ma.. cos the purple one is more costly than the other and secondly, I seldom buy this and cook.. one time I bought, it ended up purplish and my kids did not eat much of that. hahahaa... maybe my cooking is terrigible!

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    1. Very healthy option. Ya lor, must get money's worth mah since purple cabbage is more expensive.

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  8. oh! I had this last night but used my ripe avocado instead of mayonaise. Normally, I nuke the shredded cabbage for 2 mins in the microwave to get rid of the veggie smell because hubby wouldn't eat it otherwise.

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    1. For some strange reason, I like the cabbage smell LOL!

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  9. Cuz, Daiso has very wide peeler, perfect for slicing the red cabbage super thin, then just drizzle ACV....kerja orang malas I number UNO

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    1. Oh ya kah? I have seen the wide peeler but was not certain of it can really slice cabbage. OK, I wanna buy!

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  10. I have eaten purple salad and I like it. Seldom make salad at home because hubby not keen on salad.

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    1. That's good because purple cabbage is full of antioxidants.

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  11. Hi Phong Hong,
    Oh purple cabbage cost more that the white cabbage ... I usually buy a small one. This balsamic dressing looks good.

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    1. Hi Karen! I buy it once in a purple moon hee..hee..

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  12. I like to eat both white and purple cabbage but if raw must be very thinly sliced else I will get gastric pain because the raw cabbage if not thinly sliced is very hard and difficult to digest.

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    1. Yes, purple cabbage is thick and more palatable and easier to chew if sliced thinly.

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  13. hi, the dressing looks yummy ..your mum's french salad looks so good too..would like to try them but i don't have white peppercorns.is it okay to subsitute with black pepper instead? thanks
    regards
    octopusmum

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    1. Yes, of course you can substitute with black pepper :)

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    2. thanks ! will give it a try soon

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    3. thanks ! will give it a try soon

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  14. This is a cool recipe! We should show it to the owner of Ampersand and get his opinion on it. I think he'd like it! ;)

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    1. You are very kind, Sean :) They are the experts hah..hah...

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