Photo: Claire Lower
“What are you working on?” my father asked me, genuinely curious. “I’m roasting KFC coleslaw,” I told him. My dad had just finished telling me he does “about six surgeries a day,” which is “not that many.” We all have our roles to play, and I have accepted that the work my parents do (saving the lives of animals) is more important than what I do (roasting coleslaw, apparently). But after tasting roasted coleslaw, I think what I do is pretty important too.
I know what you’re thinking: “That sounds gross.” But does it? Does it really? Does roasted cabbage sound gross? No. Is it the mayonnaise? Probably, but remember that mayo is mostly oil with a little vinegar, sugar, and egg, then calm down. All we’re doing here is roasting cabbage in a dressing, and it works.
It works with potato salad, and it works with slaw. I tried it with some leftover KFC slaw, and it was delicious. I started by placing the slaw in a strainer, pressing down to remove any watery nonsense, then transferred it to a roasting dish. You want a dish that’s large enough for the slaw to spread out in a half-inch layer, so the water released by the cabbage can evaporate unobstructed.
Roast in an oven set to 350℉ until the cabbage darkens to your liking. I roasted mine for about an hour, until it got soft and sweet, and the little pieces of carrot and cabbage caramelized on the edges. It was shockingly comforting—with lots of deep, browned flavor—especially when you consider what it had been a mere 60 minutes before.
I wouldn’t do this to fresh slaw, but slaw is something that gets worse as it sits. Water leaches out, robbing the vegetables of their crispness and and diluting the dressing. But with a little straining and an hour in the oven, you can turn that watery mess into a warm, welcoming side dish, perfect for a cozy supper.
