The Coleslaw Sandwich Principle

 

When my little sister was about six, there weren’t too many vegetable dishes that she ate readily. The primary exception was coleslaw, which my Mother discovered she loved.

Thus, my Mother – always understandably keen to get us to eat our vegetables – began to pack Lucy off to school with a coleslaw sandwich almost every day. Early during this period, I remember Lucy grabbing her lunchbox with enthusiasm. I think this lasted about a week. Then poor Lucy began to look less and less enthusiastic each morning, so deeply sick had she become of coleslaw sandwiches. She took a long time to tell my Mother, though – I gather she didn’t want to disappoint her, especially since Lucy’s supposed partiality for coleslaw had become family lore by then.

This brings me neatly to what I have consequently dubbed the coleslaw sandwich principle: even if you love a dish or ingredient (in fact, maybe especially if you love it), don’t eat it too frequently. I’ve unwittingly ruined numerous perfectly good foodstuffs for myself by flouting these guidelines. Peanut butter, tuna, gelatin-based desserts, sushi, ricotta cheese, turkey slices, walnuts – all spoiled for me by periods of reckless overuse. I can barely look at a jar of peanut butter anymore, and forget Reese’s pieces. It’s sort of sad.

There is one ingredient, however, to which the coleslaw sandwich principle does not apply: mayonnaise. I make my own almost every week, and also keep an emergency supply of Wholefoods’ excellent organic stuff in the fridge (I’m not a big fan of Hellman’s, though. It’s too sweet for me.) Anyway, no matter how frequently I consume mayonnaise, I never get sick of it – the only reason I pull back is for considerations calorific. So I made this slaw with a mayonnaise-based dressing to celebrate both the coleslaw sandwich rule, and the one crucial exception to it. I thoroughly enjoyed the results, but duly stopped myself going back for seconds.

Shrimp Slaw

Ingredients:

 

1 tsp olive oil

1lb raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 head of cabbage

1 bunch of radishes

1 large cucumber, peeled

Kosher salt

For the dressing:

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup half-and-half (I used fat-free, and it was fine)

1 tbsp tarragon

1 tbsp chardonnay vinegar

2 scallions

A pinch of good salt

1 tsp sugar (optional, and I didn’t include it because I dislike sweet salad dressings. You can do as you please, obviously.)

Method:

Chop the cabbage finely, and slice the radishes and cucumber with a mandolin (or grate them).

Place the vegetables in a large colander, and toss them with a tablespoon of salt. Leave them to sit for a few hours, and then squeeze out the excess liquid. (This step can be skipped, but it concentrates the vegetable’s flavor.)

Place a skillet over medium-high heat, and add the oil. Cook the shrimp until just pink (about a minute on each side), sprinkling them with a little kosher salt as they sizzle. (You’ll probably have to do this in two batches.)

Add the shrimp to the vegetables. (I do this while they’re still warm, which will cause the shrimp to wilt the cabbage just a tad. I like the effect, but if you want the slaw to be extra-crunchy, cool the shrimp thoroughly before adding them.)

Now, whizz all the dressing ingredients together in a blender. Taste and adjust for seasoning and acidity. Then pour the dressing over the vegetables and shrimp, and toss well to combine.

Eat, but proceed with caution. Not too much now!

Serves 4 – 6.

Comments

[PaniniKathy]

What a great-looking sandwich! I've never had anything besides cole slaw in cole slaw before, but why not? Shrimp sounds like a great addition.

[Kate]

Thanks, PaniniKathy! I have the feeling some poached, shredded chicken might work well in this too - I might try that next time. Oh, and a blog devoted to paninis? I love it!

[Alaskan Mom]

I love your blog. I tried this recipe and it was delicious. Even if I substituted the vinegar. What is chardonnay vinegar and why do you use it? I may try this with poached salmon which is in abundance right now.

[Kate]

Aww, thanks Alaskan Mom, that's really sweet! I'm just starting blogging and encouraging comments make all the difference!

Chardonnay vinegar is just white wine vinegar made with chardonnay wine (as opposed to a different kind of white wine). I like it because it's tangy but not too astringent. But using white wine vinegar or even lemon juice instead would be fine.

Anyway, I'm really glad you enjoyed the recipe, and substituting salmon sounds like a great idea. I might try that myself some time.

P.S. Three cheers for beautiful Alaska! It's actually where my fiance hails from.