Apple and Fennel Coleslaw

Wotchers!

This is a lovely coleslaw if you fancy something a bit different or, if you’re like me and not overly fond of raw onion. It goes especially well with barbecued meats that have a fruity element about them, in the marinade for example, or with slow-cooked dishes like pulled pork with apples.

Fennel is a vegetable bulb that looks a bit like the bottom of a head of celery. It has has a slight aniseed flavour and can be eaten raw or cooked – the raw crunch makes it excellent for use in coleslaws and salads. It also has frond-like leaves which look similar to dill – which also have a slight aniseed taste and can make attractive garnishes, but sadly, they are usually chopped off before they get to the shelf. If you have a local farm shop, you might get lucky and find untrimmed bulbs there.

Apple Fennel Coleslaw

1/2 a white cabbage – about 500g
1 bulb fennel
2 tart, juicy apples – Braeburn, for example
Juice of 1 lemon

Dressing
150ml ‘light’ mayonnaise – I recommend Hellman’s
150ml Low fat yoghurt
1-2tsp freshly-ground black pepper

Equipment
Large bowl
Small bowl
Sharp knife

• Using the knife, cut the cabbage into thick slices from root to tip. Remove the hard core. I chop it finely and add to the dish.
• Shred the slices finely. Add to bowl.
• Squeeze the lemon juice and pour into the small bowl.
• Peel, quarter and core the apples and cut into thin slices. Toss the apple slices in the lemon juice to prevent discolouration.
• Trim the fennel bulb and shred finely.
• Add finely chopped fennel and apples to the cabbage and mix thoroughly.
• Mix dressing ingredients together until well combined and add to the vegetables a little at a time until desired consistency – personally, I don’t like it to be swimming in dressing, just nicely coated – but you can easily either keep any excess in the fridge or mix up extra if the quantities given seem a bit stingy for your tastes.

Cost: £2.48 (August 2011)