epicurean evolution: Corn Slaw from "Plenty More"

It's time to re-think coleslaw. I have never been a fan of the "sorry excuse for a vegetable" side-dish. The crunchy and crisp cabbage base is wonderful and refreshing. But then it is traditionally masked by a thick blanket of mayonnaise - and there's nothing healthy about that. If done right, that creamy layer acts merely as a binder to bring the dish together - and that I can stomach. But many times the cabbage is simply lost in the sea of white goop.

Sure, there are options to substitute yogurt for mayonnaise and that works out well to cut down on the fat-content. But the real problem here is the fact that we ultimately still masking the fresh vegetables beyond a necessary level.

In Plenty More, Ottolenghi features a slaw that reads more like a dressed salad than a clumsy coleslaw. He uses mayonnaise but balances it properly with vinegar and mustard and uses just enough to gently coat the fresh vegetables, allowing their summer freshness to shine through.

One technique that I find brilliant is the basic "pickling" of the cabbage and carrots. By boiling water, vinegar and salt and then pouring it over the freshly cut vegetables, you achieve a near marinating effect that serves to infuse a subtle complexity and flavor into the raw cabbage and carrots while at the same time, softening them a bit. This softening of the vegetables allows the dish to naturally come together and ultimately requiring less dressing to bind it all together.

And my favorite addition to this slaw is the true star, corn. What says summer more than a fresh ear of corn (except perhaps a nice juicy slab of watermelon)? The grilled corn adds a juicy sweetness to the slaw that adds interests to the dish and keeps you wanting more.

Just a side note here. I actually did chop everything by hand - cabbage and carrots. Sure, it would have been easier to grate the carrots but the texture would have been totally different. Carefully chopping the carrots into thin, uniform slices really added to the overall appeal of the dish. So if you have a good knife and time, I suggest you make the extra effort here.

Corn Slaw
p. 145 in Plenty More
serves six

Ingredients:

7 tbsp/100 ml white wine vinegar
1/4 white cabbage, shredded (4 1/4 cups/300 g)
3 small carrots, peeled and cut into fine strips (1 1/2 cups/175 g)
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced (scant 1 1/2 cups/140 g)
4 ears corn (1 1/3/600 g), lightly brushed with olive oil
2 red chiles, finely chopped
1 1/3 cups/20 g cilantro leaves
2/3 cup/20 g mint leaves
olive oil
salt and black pepper

Dressing:

3 1/2 tbsp/50 g mayonnaise
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, crushed

Directions:

Place the vinegar and a scant 1 cup/200 ml water in a small saucepan along with 1 tablespoon salt. Bring to a boil and then remove from the heat. Place the cabbage and carrots in a bowl and pour in two-thirds of the salty liquid. In a separate bowl, pour the remaining liquid over the onion and set both bowls aside for 20 minutes. Rinse the vegetables and onion well, pat dry, place together in a large bowl and set aside.
Place the ridged grill pan over high heat, and when it starts to smoke, lay the corn on it. Grill fro 10 to 12 minutes, turning so that all sides get some color (this will create quite a lot of smoke, so put the exhaust fan on, if you have one). Remove from the heat and, when cool enough to handle, use a large knife to shave off the corn in clumps and add to the salad bowl.
Whisk together all the dressing ingredients, pour over the salad, and stir gently. Add the chile, cilantro, and mint, along with a grind of black pepper, give everything another gentle stir, and serve.