Cole Slaw

Brian likes to serve this slaw with Moroccan Lamb Brochettes (page 124), but it would also complement grilled swordfish, fish brochettes, or grilled sausages. Sometimes, at home with his family, he buys spicy merguez (lamb sausages) from a local merchant, grills them, and tucks them into a baguette with aioli and this crunchy slaw. Choose firm green olives, such as picholines. The texture will be better if you buy the olives unpitted and pit them yourself.

Use green cabbage, red cabbage, savoy cabbage, or napa cabbage. Each one is tasty, and each will make a slightly different salad.

Esther Shaver owns one of the best bookstores in town. Her store, E. Shaver’s, was one of the first places to carry my cookbook. Not only is her store great, but so is her coleslaw!

To me, the secret to good slaw is the way you cut your cabbage. I have found that I prefer half of the cabbage coarsely chopped in a food processor and half hand-sliced very thin. Use outside dark green leaves, too, for color.

This is it: the famous sweet and spicy slaw from the restaurant that people come and buy by the bucketful. Make extra; trust us, you’ll need it!

My friend Roxy makes this zingy coleslaw, which I love for its sweet and tangy flavors. It’s as close as I come to making that classic, creamy Southern slaw that goes with everything from pulled pork or fried fish to burgers and fries. It also makes a great topping for grilled hot dogs or chicken sausages served in grilled pita bread.

I created this delicate slaw to showcase the vegetables—curlicue pea shoots, tender carrots, spicy arugula, and fresh herbs—that mark the arrival of spring.

My friend Shelly shared this recipe, her aunt Mimi’s, at a cookout one summer. It’s lighter and healthier than most, and since it is essentially vinegar and oil, it is safe to have on a buffet for hours.

Except for the mayonnaise, this Asian-inspired slaw is very un-Southern. The combination of flavors and colors makes a grand addition to any summer picnic. Mirin is a sweet, low-alcohol rice wine, essentially “cooking sake.” Believe it or not, soy sauce actually did make it into Meme’s kitchen. She was once featured in an article in the local newspaper, and, I suppose, thinking her simple country recipes were not appropriate for the “big time,” she included a recipe for her stir-fry. It was a combination of broccoli, carrots, and snow peas, with soy sauce as a seasoning. The recipe might have been “exotic” back then, but Meme’s stir-fry technique was pure South: the vegetables cooked for a very un-stir-fry length of time—20 minutes!

There are three kinds of Southern slaws: barbecue slaw, cole slaw, and yellow slaw. Barbecue slaw is a western North Carolina tradition made with chopped cabbage, pungent vinegar, and red pepper. Cole slaw is what most people in Georgia consider slaw—primarily cabbage and mayonnaise. Yellow, or mustard, slaw is more commonly found in South Carolina and eastern North Carolina (its main ingredients are cabbage and mustard). Try a spoonful of this slaw on Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Mama’s Barbecue Sauce (page 81) for a sloppy, glorious treat.

Mexican taco stands typically offer crunchy pickled vegetables to accompany their tacos. Shredded cabbage and sliced radishes are often found in small containers marinating in vinegar, to which guests can help themselves. The contrasting colors and textures, along with the vivid flavors of these toppings, make for a great salad and accompaniment to any meal.

I love this coleslaw and, of course, any German meal has to include cabbage of some sort. I like to make it with cider vinegar because it’s a little sweeter, but my dad likes it made with white wine vinegar so it’s a little tangier. Use whichever suits your taste.

This Asian-style slaw uses a base of peanut butter, which adds a nutty sweetness redolent of pad Thai and satay. It also adds body to the dressing and a touch of delightful crunch. Ginger paste is available in the Asian or Indian section of many grocery stores. Or, you can make your own using a food processor: place one gingerroot in the processor and add just enough water to help keep everything moving. For those who prefer the old school technique, a mortar and pestle with a touch of elbow grease yields excellent results as well.

When I was growing up, coleslaw was pretty one-dimensional. It didn’t matter where you went, German deli, Greek diner, it was all pretty much the same: cold cabbage drowned in mayo with a few slivers of carrot for coloring and maybe a few celery seeds. These days, slaw has gotten an extreme makeover, and there are now more versions to choose from. This concoction is both warm and sweet and serves as a great base for salmon, chicken, tofu, or tempeh. Sautéing the onions, red cabbage, and carrots in a little brown rice vinegar, tamari, and ginger makes it easy to eat and mighty flavorful.

Prepared shredded coleslaw mix is one of our favorite items in the produce aisle because it’s so easy to toss in a bowl—all the work’s already done. You can bring this slaw to a potluck supper and get raves, and it takes less than ten minutes to put together. It’s no surprise that this is also terrific with Sweet and Spicy Pork (page 128), and kids will love it with Mini Macaroni Pies (page 168).

Coleslaw is an extremely time-honored side dish that is served with all sorts of things in the South. Cole is actually an old English word for “cabbage,” which is of course what coleslaw is always made out of. This is my very favorite coleslaw recipe. In the South, creamy slaws like this one are traditional with fish dinners, and this is the slaw we always serve at our fish fries. It is served cold and smooth and is just perfect with fried fish and hushpuppies. Vinegar-based slaw is the classic to go with barbecue, but this one happens to taste great with barbecued meats, too.

Coleslaw is a staple side dish in every barbecue restaurant in the South, and the flavors vary from region to region. You’ll find hot slaw, mustard slaw, creamy slaw, vinegar slaw, red slaw, white slaw, and even blue cheese slaw. Which is better usually depends on the flavors you grew up with or what entrée you are serving it with, and although the debates aren’t as heated as those focusing on politics or who has the best ’Q, the discussions are quite passionate. This marinated coleslaw recipe is one of the stable of slaws fixed in the test kitchen at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q. Although it has never been on the menu, it is a favorite of Big Bob’s grandson Don McLemore, and it’s a natural pairing with chicken. The sweet vinaigrette dressing makes this dish adaptable to every barbecue region.