Cabbage Salad with Toasted Coriander Mayonnaise
Toasted coriander seeds are the flavor of the season for me. My obsession kicked off with Daniel Klein’s recipe for chilled carrot soup, when I prepared the coriander yogurt garnish. I’ve toasted coriander seeds many times before, but this time, the warm-fresh fragrance off the hot pan swirled straight into my brain—on a day I was craving spring—and I haven’t been able to get enough since.
In fact, I filled two posts on my personal blog Fresh Tart raving about them, and here’s one more below. I figured after the decadence of last week’s poached-egg-over-pork-belly-over-pancake, I owed you—and myself—a salad. This version is a twist on coleslaw, with a coriander aioli that you’ll find yourself eating out of the bowl. At least that’s how I found myself, before I roasted a pan of potatoes to swipe through the aioli that remained. Good together, this aoili and roasted potatoes…
Alongside the coleslaw.
Add a crispy roasted chicken and oh my goodness.
Cabbage Salad with Toasted Coriander Mayonnaise
Adapted from a recipe by Amanda Hesser for The New York Times
Serves 4
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 cups thinly shredded savoy cabbage
2 cups thinly shredded red cabbage
1/2 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1 large egg yolk
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, or more to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
2 shallot lobe, minced
2 tablespoons thinly sliced chives
Sea salt and ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
In a small skillet over high heat (or in a microwave oven at full power), toast coriander seeds and cumin seeds just until fragrant. Grind together using a mortar and pestle, and set aside. In a large bowl, combine savoy cabbage, red cabbage, and cilantro, and set aside.
Prepare mayonnaise: In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk, vinegar, garlic, shallot, chives, reserved coriander and cumin, and large pinches of salt and pepper. Beginning a drop at a time, whisk in oil. As it emulsifies, add oil a little faster, in a slow steady stream. When mixture is thick, whisk in more vinegar to taste; mayonnaise should be highly seasoned. (Note: You can also make the mayonnaise in a blender or food processor.)
Fold 1/3 cup mayonnaise into cabbage. There should be enough to coat cabbage generously; add more if necessary. Cover, and refrigerate for at least an hour (Note: Giving the salad a rest is absolutely necessary for the flavors to develop.) Before serving, adjust seasonings, adding more salt or vinegar as needed.