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#cookit: BBQ Seb-Slaw!

by | May 7, 2023 | Cook It!

Photo by Arnaldo Aldana on Unsplash

It’s kinda funny. My good buddy Christian Buckley (an American, of course) commented that he was upset that my #sebslaw series is based on “laws from Seb” as opposed to being about delicious shredded vegetables in tangy dressings.  Little did he know, there are a number of Slaw ideas being published in the Cook It! series…  I do like having the last laugh.

This slaw was quite literally invented by accident, a “leftovers slaw” if you will.  Don’t get too hung up on precision of measurement, if you’ve got an extra carrot – chuck it in…

BBQ Seb-Slaw (serves 4-6 as a generous side)

Ingredients You Need:

  • 1/4 red cabbage
  • 1/4 green/white/pointed (whichever you prefer)
  • 2 large carrots
  • 1 large mild onion
  • 1 large bulb fennel
  • 1 unwaxed lemon
  • Medium bunch of flat leaf parsley
  • Olive oil (75ml)
  • Red wine vinegar (3 tablespoons)
  • French’s Mustard (3 tablespoons)
  • Sea salt (1 tablespoon)
  • Celery salt (1/2 teaspoon)
  • Sugar (1 tablespoon)
  • Black pepper

Gear You’ll Need:

  • Mandolin Shredder (or food processor with shred blade)
  • Zester
  • Great big serving bowl
  • Empty jam jar with lid (washed, of course!)

How To Make It:

  1. Take the outer leaves off the cabbages and onion, peel the carrots and wash the fennel, lemon and parsley
  2. Shred the veggies (cabbages, carrots, onion, fennel). I like to work a little variety into the textures so don’t be fussed about uniformity
  3. Get the veggies in the bowl and turn them over to get your mix on
  4. Chop the parsley.  Again, keep it rustic and irregular
  5. Get the chopped parsley into the bowl with the veggies and get your mix on again
  6. Zest the lemon and squeeze the juice out of it, every last drop
  7. Get the oil, mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, wine vinegar, sugar, salts and a mighty grinding of pepper into the jam jar, lid it and shake it good and proper
  8. Shake it some more
  9. Shake it again
  10. Get the dressing splashed over the veggies and mix, mix, mix.  Use your hands – it’s the only way to be sure
  11. Serve

WorkTop Tips:

  • Keep things rustic looking.  It really doesn’t matter if veggies are think and thin – in fact it improves things
  • Mix with your hands.  No one has yet designed a good slaw stirrer
  • If you can find one, use a LARGE lemon with beautiful yellow skin with a slight greenish tinge
  • When you shake the jar, REALLY shake it, you want to create an emulsion bursting with flavour and shaking makes it happen, perhaps the entire duration of a Taylor Swift song?
  • Feel free to add other veggies you like; celeriac, zucchini, beetroot, red onion, etc. mix it up!
  • Want some heat?  Get your chilli on – fill your boots

Wine Pairing:

This slaw is ideal as a side to BBQ’d, smoked or pulled pork or poultry and brings a zingy freshness to the equation as it’s not a mayo dressed slaw.  I’d enjoy something refreshing but able to stand on it’s own feet alongside, perhaps a well chilled Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc or if you’re not feeling the grape, a malty ice cold lager such as Miller Genuine Draft would hit the spot.

Enjoy!

SM