WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS A sweet and pungent honey-mustard dressing is a welcome addition to an otherwise classic slaw. We first tossed the cabbage in a colander with a mixture of salt and sugar to soften it and pull out a bit of its liquid. Adding sugar enhanced the cabbage’s flavor and kept the saltiness from dominating. This step also allowed us to simply stir in the sauce ingredients without having to rinse and dry the cabbage. For sharp, bold mustard flavor tamed with just the right amount of sweetness, we used twice as much mustard as honey here; tasters preferred spicy brown mustard to yellow mustard for its complexity. For a bit of welcome creaminess, we added a small amount of mayonnaise.
Serves 6 to 8
Total time: 1 hour 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 head green or red cabbage (2 pounds), cored and sliced thin (12 cups)
- Salt and pepper
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- ½ cup spicy brown mustard
- ¼ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
PREPARATION
- Toss cabbage with 1½ teaspoons salt and sugar in colander set over large bowl. Let sit until cabbage has wilted and released about 2 tablespoons water, at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours, stirring and pressing on cabbage occasionally with rubber spatula.
- Discard liquid and wipe bowl clean with paper towels.
- Whisk mustard, honey, chives, mayonnaise, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ⅛ teaspoon salt in now-empty bowl until combined.
- Add cabbage and toss to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss to recombine before serving.
