Haitian Coleslaw

Catering Series, Ep 2: The Hot-or-not Salad

So let's say you need another easy and affordable side dish. Preferably one you can prepare ahead of time. Preferably Caribbean-themed for your event. Even my roommate must have heard my light bulb switch on right as I shouted "COLESLAW!" Coleslaw is probably one of the easiest and refreshingly delicious side dishes to make, and you can expect there to be international variations of the recipe. Even if there were not, I figured I could somehow adapt it to make it more Caribbean by adding some citrus and hot spices, perhaps? As I always say—it's the spices that make the ethnic cuisine! Plus, you can't really go wrong with coleslaw, can you? I mean, similar to how you can't really go wrong with salad dressing...right?

Heh, it's a darn good thing that I asked myself that question. As I contemplated scaling up the recipe (luckily I found an exact recipe for "Haitian Coleslaw" within the ravines of the internet), my biggest question was how much hot pepper I should put into the dressing. I looked at the recipe as saw that it called for two scotch bonnet peppers. Since I had to transform the 6-serving recipe to 30-servings, that would call for...TEN scotch bonnet peppers? I mean, the most findable Scoville equivalent is habanero peppers.

You know what? I went ahead and bought 10 habanero peppers anyways. And you know what else? Good thing I had my culinarily apt friend put together the salad dressing and prevent the coleslaw from turning into fiery hell. Because, teaching me the tasting method of dripping dressing onto the back of your hand, we found that one pepper sufficed in bringing a non-lethal heat to the aromatic, bright, and tart dressing.

Coleslaw is a satisfying party dish that is easy to mix in a regular-sized, say, 12x10 aluminum serving tray. First, I chopped the cabbage in advance (cabbage probably has a refrigerator life of an eternity) and stored it in a freezer bag. I also grated the carrots the night before I put together the salad and stored that in a separate freezer bag. Because I'm a fan of coleslaw that's been sitting in delicious liquids for more than a day, I recommend mixing it the night before the party or event. With my amateur knife skills, I probably needed that time to let the cabbage soften and wilt a little, anyways.

Everytime I taste this coleslaw, I give myself a figurative pat on the back (as well as my culinarily apt friend). The vinegar, mustard, fresh dill, chili pepper added to the mayonnaise perfectly complemented each other like a group of merry kids on a carousel. Apparently, some people have probably a thousand taste buds per sq. cm. and did not appreciate the "assault" on their tongue, but I honestly did not think it was very spicy at all—coming from someone who doesn't eat spicy food on a regular basis. The Haitian coleslaw dressing had the right balance between heat, acidity, savoriness, and sweetness that works well with crunchy cabbage and bits of carrot. I like to say that every time I think of this salad, I get transported to the shores of the islands as I imagine them...

haitian coleslaw adapted from Food.com Serves 30 Salad: 1 head of green cabbage 8-10 regular-sized carrots Dressing: 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise 1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil 1 1/4 cups fresh lime or lemon juice 1/2 cup vinegar (apple cider, palm, or coconut) 1/2 cup Dijon mustard 1/2 cup fresh dill, minced 1/2 cup sugar 1 habanero pepper, minced 5 cloves of garlic, minced 2 tablespoon celery seed Remove the outer leaves of the cabbage. Remove the outer leaves, halve, remove stems, and slice cabbage into shreds like so. Peel, remove the ends, and grate carrots. If preparing in advance, store in a freezer bag, container, or covered bowl separately for up to a week before cabbage begins to darken. Combine all of the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl, and store for up to 3 days, if not using immediately. In a large bowl or serving tray, combine all of the ingredients and dressing. Mix with clean hands or a glove. Let sit overnight before serving. Combined, the coleslaw can actually last for almost a week, considering that commercial mayonnaise is made with pasteurized eggs and acidic preservatives, not even including the additional acid that is added to the dressing.

Follow the signs to deliciousness!