After snagging gorgeous flounder at Groomer’s the other day (it was just a few hours old), I called David on my way home to suggest we serve the pan sauteed flounder with cole slaw. This is a traditional Caribbean side dish for fried fish and he was down with my tasty idea.
When we later began discussing exactly what kind of cole slaw I should make, he mentioned making a creamy cole slaw with raisins.
“Raisins? In cole slaw?” I asked with a disbelieving tone.
“Yes,” he said, “It’s very Bahama-esque.” Having been to the Bahamas and loved the food, that was all I needed to hear to know that it was going to be good.
Bahamian food is spectacular and simple beyond belief. Cracked conch, conch salad, conch chowda’, conch fritters, grouper, grouper and more grouper–until you can no longer even hear the word spoken, as David’s daughter, Katie, would say.
There’s also Bahama bread. Pies. Peas and rice. And the Bahamian macaroni and cheese is so unbelievably good, it should be illegal.
As you can see, there’s something obviously missing in their diet. Vegetables. It’s expensive to ship so even when they do get veggies, they tend to be limp and wimpy. But cabbage is a sturdy vegetable and so are carrots, which they seem to be able to procure. And raisins last forever.
So, fry up some fish, whip up this cole slaw, try and find a Kalik beer (Bahamian beer) or at least a rum drink, close your eyes and make believe you’re in ‘da Islands, mon.
Buen provecho!
Cole Slaw with Raisins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
- 3/4 teaspoon sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
- 2 cups cabbage core removed and thinly shredded
- 1 cup carrots grated
- 1/2 cup raisins
Instructions
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In a small bowl, combine the mayo, honey, sugar, mustard and celery salt. Stir well to combine and set aside.
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In a serving bowl, place the shredded cabbage, carrots and raisins.
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Add the dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors have time to marry.
Cole Slaw with Raisins
The Cowgirl Gourmet got this recipe from Taste of Home’s website
Print recipe
After making this recipe exactly as the recipe indicated, we were elated! And if you like raisins, you, too, will love this twist on an old classic. The honey and dash of sugar give it a little sweetness along with the raisins, while the mustard adds great color and creates a fabulous flavor balance for the dressing. This dish combines perfectly with pan sauteed fish and we are definitely serving it the next time we make ribs.
Serves 4
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
3/4 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
2 cups thinly shredded cabbage, core removed
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup raisins
In a small bowl, combine the mayo, honey, sugar, mustard and celery salt. Stir well to combine and set aside.
In a serving bowl, place the shredded cabbage, carrots and raisins.
Add the dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving so the flavors have time to marry.
Bahamians don’t put raisins in Coleslaw ma’am
Hello to A Real Bahamian,
So glad you stumbled across the blog. I hope you found some inspiration. As for your comments about Bahamians not using raising, I beg to differ with you. My husband lived in the Bahamas for several years and this was the way many prepared coleslaw. Consider it a regional touch.