Picture a side of coleslaw right now, and you’ll likely imagine a damp little paper cup of something resembling a goopy, vegetable-garnished mayo that’s both complimentary and unwanted at the local diner. But a better coleslaw can, instead, exist as a fresh and crisp veggie medley that’s dressed to impress for your next picnic. And celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s take on this side dish is just the recipe that’ll have everyone asking for seconds.
Just like the crème fraîche that completes Bobby Flay’s perfect scrambled eggs, or the pantry staple that he uses as a go-to secret ingredient, his coleslaw zig-zags from the expected to produce a superior final product. Flay’s cookout staple spin takes the standard cabbage, carrots, and onions and jazzes them up with not only the typical mayo, salt, and pepper, but also sour cream, white or red wine vinegar, celery salt, and prickly dry mustard for a snappier slaw. A bit of sugar takes the edge off.
More sen-Flay-tional coleslaw tips
The proportions are a large part of why Bobby Flay’s coleslaw is successful. A prelude to his recipe explicitly states that it’s “aiming for a lightly creamy slaw,” and it goes on to add less than one total cup of wet ingredients to a whole head of finely shredded green cabbage, two large carrots, and a Spanish onion in that pursuit. This ratio is what keeps the coleslaw from turning into the dreaded diner slop. You can also salt the shredded vegetables before combining everything together to keep them from releasing water later and rendering the whole dish a soggy mess. Just make sure that you rinse the mineral off under the tap after a few minutes so it doesn’t totally cloak the coleslaw’s flavor before pressing the veggies between dish or paper towels to dry completely.
Flay’s coleslaw also works because of the little pops of flavor that emerge from the otherwise neutral-to-near-sweet base. He uses the celery salt and dry mustard for that effect, but you can go your own way with something like sriracha (just scale back a bit of the mayo to make up for the extra moisture), or even additional plants like apples or jalapeños. Even just cilantro and lime can take coleslaw to the next level. These upgrades aren’t limited to scratch-made coleslaws, either. You can also brighten up a store-bought coleslaw with the pickles you might already have in the refrigerator.
