Name: Crunchy Slaw
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 as a side
Ingredients: 1/2 head white cabbage; 1 tbsp coarse salt; 1/2 cup mayonnaise; 2 tbsp cider vinegar; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tsp caster sugar; 1/2 tsp black pepper; 2 carrots; 4 spring onions; 1/2 tsp celery seeds

1/2 head

1 Salt and leave to drain 30 minutes 30m Pre-salting removes the water that would otherwise dilute the dressing later.

2 Squeeze the cabbage dry in a tea towel 5m Properly wrung out. You will be surprised how much water comes out.

4 Toss everything together and chill 20 minutes 20m

1 tbsp

1/2 cup

3 Whisk smooth 4m

2 tbsp

1 tsp

1/2 tsp

Salt first, dress later

Undressed slaw goes watery because salt in the dressing pulls water out of the cabbage over the following half hour. Doing that on purpose beforehand — and throwing the water away — means the dressing stays where you put it. The cabbage also stays crunchier, because it is no longer sitting in brine.

Notes

Do not rinse after salting unless you have been heavy-handed; the cabbage keeps enough seasoning.
Shred finer than feels necessary. Thick slaw is coleslaw-shaped salad.
Keeps two days, which pre-salted slaw genuinely does and unsalted slaw does not.

Method

Salt and leave to drain 30 minutes

Squeeze the cabbage dry in a tea towel

Whisk smooth

Toss everything together and chill 20 minutes

Salt first, dress later

Notes