Carrot and Kohlrabi Slaw

I think it’s time we talked mayonnaise. I have a deep, dark confession to make. I’m not a fan of it! Sure, I’ll eat it and even enjoy it under the right conditions, but I could never understand it when friends of mine would eat it with literally everything they ate. I’m convinced they’d even tried it with their breakfast cereal. And as a chef, I grew to resent it even more. My team of chefs would slave away, designing and cooking beautiful dishes, only to have a member of the front of house sheepishly return from serving a table with a nervous look in their eyes. We knew what it meant. The guest wanted mayonnaise, usually a heap of it, to smother our delicately balanced meal with. But the guest is always right, right?

All joking aside, I don’t really mind mayonnaise (besides it’s awkward spelling), but in honour of every dish that has been ruined with a hefty dollop of the stuff, I’d like to share my coleslaw recipe with you all. Yes, you’ve guessed it. It’s naked. No mayonnaise in sight. This sweet, crunchy concoction of grated carrot and kohlrabi is wonderfully balanced with a splash of either cider vinegar or Mirin, a Japanese rice wine vinegar. Both of which are white vinegars with fruity notes and ample sweetness to balance their acidity. As far as a coleslaw goes, this one will happily substitute it’s mayonnaise equivalent in any dish and hopefully give you a pleasant surprise with it’s sublime freshness and vibrancy.

Naked Slaw Recipe
Serves 5-6 Side

• 2-3 Medium/large carrots, grated

• 1 Kohlrabi, grated

• A pinch of sea salt

• 1 Heaped tsp wholegrain mustard

• 2-3tbsp of cider vinegar or Mirin

• Optional: 1 Shallot, very finely sliced

Step 1.

Grate everything into a mixing bowl (and prepare the shallot if you have one), then add the remaining ingredients. Mix and serve within quarter of an hour. If you eat it fresh then there is more crunch, after 15 minutes the vinegar and salt will have softened the vegetables like a quick pickling liquor.