Most-Delicious Crunchy Coleslaw Salad with Tangy-Sweet Dressing

Darien Telephone Company's Phenomenal Book

One of my favorite cookbooks around (besides Coralie's Mom's Awesome Cookbook: Mary Made It, of course) is  "Something To Talk About: Simply Coastal Cooking" from The The Darien Telephone Company in Darien, Georgia. The only thing better than the food in McIntosh County, Georgia is the people. Two or three of my hands-down favorite recipes come from this book and I am so pleased to share one of my most requested recipes ever.

The recipe is for "Coleslaw Salad" but I want to add a thousand words to that title to further convey its awesomeness. Because it is. When I think of coleslaw, I normally grimace... because I've had some bad coleslaw in my life. Everyone has been to that barbeque/picnic where there is a plastic container of something that is a white, mayonaissey soup with shredded cabbage.And for that reason, I think coleslaw sometimes gets a bad wrap. I mean, when done properly, mayonnaise-based coleslaw is a thing of beauty... but, again... we've all been to that barbeque.

Oh, man... I'm so excited to share this with you. I'm calling it, CRUNCHY COLESLAW with TANGY/SWEET DRESSING. I know a lot of people in my life who aren't big fans of vegetables... and even THEY eat this salad. It's great for summer parties, Wednesday-dinner sidedish, you name it.      

Ingredients:

-1 (3-ounce) package of chicken-flavor ramen noodles
-1/2 cup vegetable oil
-3 tablespoons cider vinegar
-2 tablespoons sugar
-1/2 teaspoon of salt
-1/4 teaspoon of pepper
-3 tablespoons of butter
-1/2 cup sliced almonds
-2 tablespoon sunflower kernals
-1 large head cabbage, shredded, or 1 (16-ounce) package shredded cabbage
-1/2 cup sliced green onions         

This recipe is really broken up into two parts- the crunchy portion of the salad and the dressing. If you aren't feeling ambidexterous you can make the dressing, then toast your crunchy ingredients, and then make the fresh greens portion of the salad... OR, if you love a challenge, you can do all three at the same time through a carefully orchestrated dance that maximizes time effeciency. Because sometimes you need a great dish quickly.



Is there anything better than butter?

First, put the 3 Tbls. of butter into a wide pan over a medium-low heat. ("6" on my range) After most of the butter has melted, begin putting crunchy component (almonds, sunflower seeds, and crushed noodles from the ramen noodle packet) into the sauce pan. *Tip* I always open a small section from the end seams of the noodle packet and gently crush the noodles IN the package. It just keeps the mess at a minimum. Now, as soon as the dry, crunchy ingredients get covered in melted butter you have about eight to ten minutes of toasting before they start to get burned.



Thin layer of crunchy goodness, sauteed frequently.

 Make sure the crunchy ingredients are spread-out as you sautee, breaking up any larger clusters of ramen noodles with the butt of your spatula. While you are stirring this mix frequently, almost obsessively, you can make your dressing. But, always ALWAYS watch this mix. Because when it starts to burn, it happens quickly. So, while its toasting, grab a mason jar and combine the dressing components (oil, cider vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper, and the most secretest of ingredients- the chicken flavoring packet from the ramen noodles). Deal with it. Tighten lid on mason jar and shake ingredients together. Set aside. You've been watching your crunchy stuff, right?

I know you have, because you're awesome. After six or seven minutes, you'll begin to notice that the almonds are starting to subtly toast. Use this as your index on doneness of your noodles. Here you can do one of two things: if your noodles look golden brown, take them immedietely off the heat and spread in a thin layer on a paper-towel covered plate to soak excess oil from component. It also slows the toasting process... which is key, as it can burn quickly. Can't state that enough. If you've made your dressing and the noodles and almonds are still the same color as when you put them in, continue to sautee mixture in butter, and cut your green onions.

 

 Now that all components are assembled, you can either mix them all together if you are serving immedietly or store the components seperately while you are traveling or until you are ready to serve. As soon as you add the dressing to the crunchy mixture, the crunch of the noodles are on a time clock. They'll stay crunchy for about an hour, once mixed, but can be stored and assembled at the event for maximum crunch. I've known some people who LOVE this salad soggy- like put it between slices of bread/LOVE this salad. I'm its biggest fan of it crunchy, but to each his own!

 

A friend of mine has a "deep-fry" party every year for his birthday- everyone brings something to deep fry- the wilder the better. I brought this salad as a palate cleanser and some needed ruffage. I carried the coleslaw bag, the crunch mixture, and the green onion in a tupperware container. Got to the party and assembled on site. I took a picture of it too late as it was almost consumed by the time I got my camera. Which, I guess, is a pretty awesome indicator of how great this it.

 

Crunchy and Crisp! Delicious and GONE.

 



   Thanks for reading, and good luck!

                                                    ~ Leigh