Try this Creamy Tricolor Coleslaw recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 0.434756383930699 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0194325 g
- Fiber 0.141449999213219 g
- Protein 0.048735 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0030735 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (5g)
- Sodium 168.952388392869 mg
- Sugar 0.29330638471748 g
- Trans Fat 0.003891 g
- Calories 2 calories
Step-by-step
- Use a mandolin or a very sharp slicing knife and a cutting board to slice both cabbages as thinly as possible.
- Discard any large tough cabbage ribs.
- You'll have 12 to 14 cups.
- Use a vegetable peeler to thinly shave the carrots into pieces about 2 inches long.
- Put the mayonnaise, half-and-half, vinegar, 1 teaspoon salt and paprika into a large bowl; mix well.
- Add the cabbages and carrots.
- Toss to coat the cabbage well with dressing.
- Taste and season with more salt if desired.
- Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
- Serve very cold.
Cider vinegar performs the crucial structural work in this dish by introducing acetic acid that begins breaking down the tough cellular walls of raw brassicas before the dairy enters. Historical renditions of cold cabbage salads relied heavily on simple vinegar and oil infusions until commercial mayonnaise production popularized thick, emulsion-based dressings in the twentieth century. Achieving uniform shredding requires a mandolin set to a narrow millimeter width to ensure each strand absorbs dressing at an equal rate.
Multiplying or reducing this formulation demands careful attention to the ratio of solid ingredients versus the liquid binding agents. Doubling the batch requires scaling the salt and acid proportionally while potentially holding back a portion of the half-and-half until the final consistency can be evaluated. Home cooks frequently err by overwhelming the shredded vegetables with too much dairy, which dilutes the tangy bite necessary to balance the natural sweetness of the carrots.
Refrigerating the mixture for at least one hour allows osmosis to draw excess water out of the cabbage, concentrating flavors significantly. Letting the slaw sit longer than two days creates undesirable textural mushiness as the salt completely degrades the crunch. Freezing is entirely unsuitable for mayonnaise-based slaws because emulsion bonds break permanently during thawing, resulting in a watery, separated mess.
Serving this dish ice-cold heightens the perception of crispness by numbing the palate slightly to heavy fats. Proper temperature control keeps the dairy elements safe from bacterial growth during outdoor gatherings or extended buffet service. Storing leftovers in an airtight glass container prevents the absorption of neighboring refrigerator odors.
