I
have friends and students who really dislike coleslaw and would pull
a face that you're not supposed to see and then decline. The most
frequent comments are - “it's tasteless and too much dressing”
“I like the combination of vegetables but the dressing is too
creamy and sickly”
I
do like a challenge and consequently was delighted to hear
“completely different to shop bought” “the dressing is very
light not like the shop bought stuff”, “refreshing, tangy and
delicious”.
If
you don't want to be bothered with slicing and dicing then you could
choose a good quality or your favourite shop bought brand of coleslaw
and enhance it – there is without doubt a world of difference out
there – it does not necessarily follow that the most expensive is
the best, if you get my drift.
Obviously industrial processors are used for the mass produced
product, hence the huge chunks of tough, woody cabbage in the
mixture. So, if you are going to use a ready prepared version and
make it your own you might want to fish out the larger pieces of
cabbage and slice/chop/dice at will!
Add
any of the variations mentioned in the Coronation Slaw recipe – to
begin with the curry powder, lime juice and mango chutney then the
apricots and sultanas. Add chopped nuts – walnuts or pecans would
work well or a sharp flavoured apple, peeled quartered and diced.
It's whatever floats your boat but is more practical if you don't
have the time to slice and julienne the cabbage and carrots.
There
is another speedier option – you can buy bags of coleslaw mix –
in theory ready to use. The downside is that this product is mass
produced as is the ready-made coleslaw and suffers the same fate -
large inedible slices of cabbage et al. However it's nothing a chefs
knife can't put right – tip it onto a chopping board and refine!
The upside is it's practical and if you want to road test creating
your own slaw it's worth a shot.
I
don't want you to get the idea that I'm a coleslaw snob – too late
was the cry!
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