ASIAN SLAW

Despite the presence of Asian ingredients and flavours, I quite often prepare this salad to serve it with grilled steak or roast chicken; the spices are not so strong as to overpower the main dish, rather they add an extra dimension and excitement to the whole meal.  As I explained previously, in my cosmopolitan cooking I don't necessarily adhere to any Asian cuisine in particular but rather enjoy the presence of unusual flavours and ingredients.

Now, that I have cleared that up, let me go back to the preparation of the salad.

To feed 8 people you need:

 ½ head of medium white cabbage

2 red capsicums

A bunch of green onions

1/2 cup of chopped coriander

1 tbsp of sesame seeds (black or white)

Dressing:

4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp of sesame oil

1 tsp of brown sugar

2 tbsp of lime juice (I use the ready made one)

1 tsp of water

2 tbsp of soy sauce

Method:

Pre-heat a small pan on medium high and roast the sesame seeds until golden brown.  If you using black ones, just warm them up to release the flavours.

Get a big salad bowl and using a potato peeler, start shaving off the cabbage discarding the core.  Remove the seeds from the capsicum and repeat the process.  The reason I am using a peeler is not for presentation purposes only but also as the thinner the vegetables, the more flavour they absorb.

Next, slice the green onions diagonally into 2 cm pieces and add them to the bowl together with chopped coriander.  

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing into a small jar with a lid and give it a good shake.  Taste it and adjust the seasoning if needed, aiming for a perfect balance of saltiness and sweetness with just enough of a hint of the clean taste of the lime juice and a hit from the chilies.

This salad is a good accompaniment to a fish dish with similar flavours.  You can find the recipe in the post called "Asian infused barramundi".

Enjoy!!!