A molasses-laced mélange of crisp vegetables, smoking with chipotle chile, this slaw sneaked up on us unexpectedly one night in Hartford, Connecticut, far from its natural turf. Black-Eyed Sally's, a lively barbecue and blues outpost, was cooking some dishes of ours from previous books for a local food festival. When we sat down to taste everything, we discovered with distress that we liked their imaginative slaw better than our own food. We returned home with the basics scrawled on a bar napkin and developed a home version. It keeps well for several days, though the color of the red cabbage fades slightly.
SERVES 8 OR MORE
SASSY SLAW
| 1 | small cabbage head, grated |
| ¼ | red cabbage head, grated |
| 2 | carrots, grated |
| ½ | cup thin-sliced green onions |
| 1 | fresh poblano or other mild green chile such as New Mexican or Anaheim, grilled or roasted, peeled, and cut into thin strips |
| 1 | red bell pepper, grilled or roasted, peeled, and cut into thin strips |
CHIPOTLE DRESSING
| 1 | cup Enriched Mayonnaise ([>]) or other mayonnaise |
| ½ | cup sour cream |
| 6 | tablespoons cider vinegar |
| 2½ | tablespoons unsulphured molasses |
| 1 | teaspoon salt |
| ¾ | teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper |
| 2 | canned chipotle chiles, minced, plus, for more heat, 1 to 2 teaspoons of adobo sauce from the can |
Prepare the slaw, stirring together the ingredients in a large bowl.
Prepare the dressing, whisking together the ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss the dressing with the slaw and refrigerate for at least an hour for the flavors to develop.
Serve chilled.