Carrot, chilli, and lime slaw

I am going to be writing here about bits of kitchen equipment that I enjoy using and think are worth the cost. I have an absolute commitment to the concept that most gadgets are a waste of money, money that could have been much better spent on shoes. But that said there are a few that really make, not so much the cooking but the preparation easier. One of these is a decent mandolin. I have always been quite scared of mandolins whereas I’m not at all spooked by very sharp knives. I think the difference is that the knife is in your hand but the blade on the mandolin lurks in the gadget and so creates,  in me, a feeling of hidden menace.

There is no doubt though these bits of kit really help when shredding vegetables for oriental salads and coleslaws, for not matter how excellent your food processor is sometimes they very speed of the machine means you lose accuracy and end up with rather a messy dish.

My mandolin is made by a company called Zyliss i bought it from the wonderful Lakeland company http://www.lakeland.co.uk . Many is the happy hour I’ve spent with a cup of coffee and a new Lakeland catalogue. I sit in mute admiration at the many many items I could not even imagine existed, some for cleaning places I didn’t realise got dirty. I have used Lakeland for many years and whilst I do laugh gently at their extensive range I love the efficiency of their mail order system.

The Zyliss mandolin has an excellent guard on the blade that makes this the safest most comfortable one I’ve used. It also has a setting that allows for three different sizes of slice

Carrot, chilli and lime slaw

I served it last night with a curry and tonight I’ll be serving the rest with some grilled salmon.

 

Recipe

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9 thoughts on “Carrot, chilli, and lime slaw

  1. I am a slaw addict and this one looks and sounds beeeautiful. I might throw in some toasted sesame or sunflower seeds (just cuz that’s how I roll). And thank you for extolling the virtues of good kit. I don’t have a mandolin, but I do have a julienne slicer (this one in fact) that does the trick.

  2. I often add poppy seeds to carrot slaw but this time wanted something simple and tangy to offset the curry sauce. :):)

  3. This is my kind of salad. Crunchy and full of flavours I love. I have only ever used a mandolin in a professional kitchen and tend to rely on my Magimix for shredding. But, you’re right it isn’t the best as the carrots produce a lot of water and big chunks get left unshredded. So, I will think about one now, seeing as Lakeland do them:-)

  4. Thanks again Laura, I really do believe shoes are better than most gadgets but this mandolin works, is easy to clean and gives a more constant result for fine shredding.

  5. I have a question – I see many recipes calling for crushing garlic to a paste with salt. What is the purpose of combining these two ingredients in this way?

  6. Crushing garlic with salt creates a fine puree and brings out the full flavour of the garlic. The puree combines well and there are no lumps of garlic which can give a stronger more bitter flavour to dressings etc. I use my chefs knife and Maldon salt to make a puree on the chopping board. It should be almost a liquid.

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