Lisa UK posted 11-20-99 5:45 PM pt (US)
Soulful Salads Taken from Sheila Ferguson's Soul Food published by Weidenfeld paperbacks
Coleslaw
4 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
1 onion, grated or 1/2 teaspoon onion juice
1/2 teaspoon dry mild mustard
3 heaping teaspoons sugar, or less to taste
1 or 2 splashes vinegar
1/2 head large white cabbage
1 or 2 carrots, grated
1/2 small green bell pepper, finely diced, optional
1 or 2 stalks celery, finely diced, optional
Plop four tablespoons of mayonnaise into a glass or china bowl. I mean
really heaping. Grate an onion over it or maybe 1/2 a teaspoon of onion juice.
Then add in 1/2 a teaspoon or so of dry mild mustard and up to three heaping teaspoons of sugar. Next, a splash or two of vinegar. Mix your dressing well, stirring until all sugar has dissolved, then taste. It should be more sweet than vinegary, with only slightest hint of onion. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Taste and adjust, as onion will have come out more powerfully. You may want to add in a touch more sugar, vinegar, mayonnaise, lemon, mustard, onion juice or whatever to suit your own taste. But do it in small stages because every little change is a major even in this dressing. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to use.
Take half of a nice firm head of white cabbage and, after removing outer
leaves and cleaning, cut it through from top to bottom. Remove main stem
from each piece.
You can use this if you like but it has to be cut up
separately. Place each quarter cut side down on a cutting board and with a long sharp knife cut each quarter into very fine shreds. If you are including stem, slice this finely first lengthwise, then across into shreds.
Next, take one or two carrots, depending on their size of course, and grate
them into your cabbage. If you like taste of green bell pepper, dice no more than half a small pepper very finely and add it to slaw. Then, if you want, add one or more stalks of very finely diced celery. When you toss slaw it should be colourful with lots of finely cut ingredients. When you are satisfied that it is right, you can pour on your dressing.
Mix well by folding in dressing little by little. Slaw should look glossy,
not too white. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least two
hours. Overnight is ok too, if you like cabbage to marinate and soften a
little. Afterwards you can add more dressing if you like. Don't judge
dressing until your coleslaw has been refrigerated or you might make it too
soupy.