Recipe: Coleslaw with Cooked Dressing

One of the best claws I've ever had.

“This tasty dish comes from the lovely old town of Tarboro, North Carolina. Served with barbecue or Brunswick stew, it is a combination hard to beat and ideal for picnics or church suppers.”—Winifred Green Cheney, The Southern Hospitality Cookbook (1976)

COLESLAW WITH COOKED DRESSING

Makes 16 ½-cup servings

 1 head green cabbage, 7 inches in diameter, to make about 8 C finely shredded leaves

1 large onion, shredded fine

1 bell pepper, shredded fine

½ to 1 C sugar

1 C cider vinegar

¾ C olive oil or salad oil

1 tsp prepared mustard (preferably homemade—see recipes in Basics section)

1 tsp celery seeds

1 tsp salt

Combine shredded cabbage, onion, and bell pepper in a large glass or stainless steel bowl, sprinkle with sugar, but do not stir. Blend together vinegar, oil, mustard, celery seeds, and salt in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and pour mixture over vegetables. Do not stir. Refrigerate mixture overnight “This will keep for a week or more if refrigerated.”