Cole Slaw - Creamy - CI

By mariannefeldman

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/1129-creamy-coleslaw?incode=MCSCZ00L0
CREAMY COLESLAW
Published July 1, 1995, CI

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
We wanted to find a coleslaw recipe that would keep the cabbage from watering down the dressing, with a piquant dressing that wasn’t too sharp. Salting cabbage caused it to lose most of its liquid, leaving the cabbage pickle-crisp. We found that salted cabbage also took on more of the dressing's flavors. After a number of failed experiments with dressings for our coleslaw recipe, we decided to give low-acidity rice vinegar a try. We drizzled a bit over the mayonnaise-tossed cabbage and found its mild acidity perfect for coleslaw.

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SERVES 4

If you like caraway or celery seed in your coleslaw, you can add one-quarter teaspoon of either with the mayonnaise and vinegar. You can shred, salt, rinse, and pat the cabbage dry a day ahead, but dress it close to serving time.
See CI for Sweet & Sour Cole Slaw version

Ingredients

• 1 pound cabbage (about 1/2 medium head), red or green, shredded fine or chopped (6 cups)
• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or 1 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 small onion, minced
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• Ground black pepper

Preparation

Step 1

1. Toss cabbage and carrots with salt in colander set over medium bowl. Let stand until cabbage wilts, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

2. Dump wilted cabbage and carrots into the bowl. Rinse thoroughly in cold water (ice water if serving slaw immediately). Pour vegetables back into colander, pressing, but not squeezing on them to drain. Pat dry with paper towels. (Can be stored in a zipper-lock bag and refrigerated overnight.)

3. Pour cabbage and carrots back again into bowl. Add onions, mayonnaise, and vinegar; toss to coat. Season with pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

STEP-BY-STEP

SHREDDING CABBAGE


Shredding By Hand: 3. Use a chef's knife to cut each stack of cabbage diagonally into thin shreds. To chop the cabbage, turn the pile of shredded cabbage crosswise, then cut the cabbage shreds into a fine dice.


Shredding in a Food Processor: To shred cabbage in a food processor, follow steps 1 and 2 under "Shredding by Hand." Roll the leaves crosswise and place them in the feeder tube. Using the slicing disk and pressing lightly on the pusher, shred the cabbage. Repeat with the other stacks.


Shredding By Hand: 1. Quarter, then core the cabbage.


Shredding By Hand: 2. Separate the cabbage quarters into stacks of leaves that flatten when pressed lightly.