How to Make the Best-Ever Creamy Coleslaw, According to Chef Andrew Zimmern (and His Mom)
It's just not summer without burgers, hot dogs—and all those signature summer sides. We're big fans of potato salad, grilled corn and zucchini, macaroni salad and one of our all-time favorites, coleslaw. It's great as a side dish or piled on top of a pulled pork sandwich and it keeps well in the fridge, which means we can also have it for lunch during the week.
We're fans of how Dolly Parton dolls up her slaw and we're good with a mayo-based or vinegar-based option, but we're always on the lookout for new coleslaw variations to add to our side dish repertoire, which is why we were excited when we stumbled across chef Andrew Zimmern's version on his Instagram feed. It's the slaw his mom used to make, so it seems like it's a recipe worth passing down. Here's what you need to know.
How to Make Andrew Zimmern's Creamy Coleslaw
"There are as many ways to make coleslaw out there as cooks who adore it. I have my classic coleslaw recipe which was my mother's from when I was a child and it's super easy—everything just kind of just goes into a bowl," says Zimmern in the video. We love that the recipe is easy but Zimmern's smart tips, tricks and upgrades really help fine-tune the flavor and the texture to create a next-level slaw.
? Get ahead. Before you start this recipe you should know that it's not one of those recipe that's ready in an instant. It's not difficult by any means, but the first step is to thinly slice your cabbage, salt it, then let it sit in a colander (with a plate underneath it) for four to 6 hours. This is the perfect thing to do first thing in the morning, so all you have to do before your evening cookout is toss everything together.
Salting the cabbage helps get rid of some of the moisture, which tenderizes the veggie but also retains some bite. It's really worth the extra time to get this Goldilocks texture.
? Combine your dressing. Most of the time, you can either have a mayo-based or vinegar-based dressing for your slaw. In this recipe, Zimmern combines the best of both worlds and uses both. For 5 to 6 cups of cabbage, he uses 1/2 cup mayo and 3 tablespoons of white vinegar, so it's just creamy enough and just tangy enough.
? Season it up. The seasoning is pretty standard here. A bit of sugar, some powdered mustard, salt and black pepper and then an old-school coleslaw favorite: caraway seeds. Zimmern toasts and grinds the seeds to give them a nutty depth. You can leave them whole, but grinding them helps infuse the slaw with flavor instead of just getting the pop of caraway only when you get a seed.
? Slice it right. Zimmern uses carrot, celery, red onion and parsley in his slaw, but each has a specific role to play. The red onion, which is finely chopped, adds a little bite. The roughly chopped parsley adds freshness and color, and the julienned carrots (cute little matchsticks) add a nice bite. And the celery? Slice it "as thin as you can without it falling apart," says Zimmern. Here, the celery is in the mix more for flavor than crunch.
? Mix it up. Once everything is ready, all you have to do is mix up the dressing and stir in the carrots, parsley and celery. Pick up the cabbage in the colander and give it a good squeeze before adding it to the mix. Stir to combine and you're done!
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