Lime & Sesame Slaw

I first made this for my mother to bring to her annual ladies’ summer wine night. It was so well received they sent her home with a bottle of Malbec Rosé for me. It’s been on the menu in the Noone household ever since. It goes great with grilled chicken and rice, will liven up any salad bowl, and makes a nice accompaniment to a fried egg on toast in the morning.

You must finely slice your cabbage. Use a mandoline if you have one, or the slicing attachment on your food processor. Cabbage can taste bitter, so if it is not sliced thinly enough the ratio of cabbage to vegetables will be off, and you will have a bitter slaw that is laborious to eat. Use either a julienne peeler or mandoline to prepare your carrots. It helps them blend into the cabbage, resulting in a pleasantly homogeneous texture.

Finally, don’t skimp on the toasted sesame seeds. They bring a necessary richness that balances out the zingy dressing.

Ingredients

For the slaw:

1/2 head red cabbage, very finely sliced

1/2 head white cabbage, very finely sliced

3 medium carrots, peeled and julienned

For the dressing:

125ml fresh lime juice

50ml toasted sesame oil

50ml olive oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

To serve:

lots of toasted sesame seeds

Directions

Prepare your ingredients. The vegetable prep takes a while, but once that’s ready the slaw is nearly done.

Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients with a pinch of salt.

Pour over the salad and toss to coat. Adjust seasoning to taste. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.