Old-Fashioned Coleslaw

Ingredients

Tick each one off as you go.

• 2 lb (900 g) white cabbage (1 medium head), quartered, cored and finely shredded
• 2 carrots (about 150 g), coarsely grated
• 1 tbsp fine sea salt, for salting the cabbage
• 1 cup (200 g) mayonnaise
• 3 tbsp cider vinegar and 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp celery seeds and ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ small onion, finely grated (optional, but proper)

Method

1. Shred. Quarter and core the cabbage, then shred it as finely as you can — sharp knife or mandoline, ribbons not chunks. Coarsely grate the carrots; finely grate the onion, if using.
2. Salt. Toss the cabbage and carrot with 1 tbsp fine sea salt in a colander set over the sink. Leave for 1 hour — you'll be surprised how much water drains away.
3. Squeeze. Rinse briefly under cold water, then wring out hard in a clean tea towel, a handful at a time, until nothing drips. Don't be gentle — this is the whole trick.
4. Whisk. Stir the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, mustard, celery seeds & pepper until the sugar dissolves. It should taste a touch too sharp and too sweet on its own.
5. Dress and chill. Toss the vegetables through the dressing until every shred is coated, then cover and chill for at least 1 hour — overnight is even better. Stir, taste for salt and serve cold.