Servings: 10-12
Start to finish: 4 hours (20 minutes active)
4 ounces diced pancetta or bacon
1 red cabbage (about 3 pounds) cored and shredded into 1/8-inch wide strips
4 medium-large carrots, peeled and shredded
1 small yellow bell pepper, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small-to-medium Vidalia onion, diced
2/3cup golden raisins
1/2cup good quality mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 generous teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1/3cup minced fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Cook pancetta in a heavy skillet until crisp. Drain and reserve cooked bacon. Reserve a few tablespoons of the pancetta drippings.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cabbage, carrots, peppers, onions and raisins; toss well.
In a small bowl, mix reserved pancetta drippings together with mayonnaise and sour cream until smooth. Whisk in mustard, cumin, paprika and cilantro. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Add more to taste.
Pour dressing over slaw mixture, tossing well to coat evenly. Reserve the cooked pancetta to mix in just before serving. Transfer to a serving bowl. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to let the flavors marry.
Before serving, re-mix coleslaw, and sprinkle with the pancetta. Serve chilled or slightly above room temperature.
Chef’s Note: If your slaw seems dry, you may need more dressing. This will happen as the size of vegetables vary. You can double the dressing ingredients to make more, but let the slaw sit before adding more dressing because you don’t want to over-dress it.
Nutrition information per serving: 210 calories; 114 calories from fat; 13 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 17 mg cholesterol; 377 mg sodium; 21 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 14 g sugar; 4 g protein.
Elizabeth Karmel, Associated Press
