Name: Vietnamese-style slaw with pickled carrot
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 garlic clove; 1 birdseye chilli, coarsely chopped, or to taste; 2 tbsp lime juice, plus wedges to serve; 250 gm Chinese cabbage, thinly sliced; ½ cup each (loosely packed) Vietnamese mint, coriander and holy basil (see note); 2 red or golden shallots, thinly sliced; To serve: fried shallots (optional); Pickled carrot; 140 ml rice vinegar; 50 ml fish sauce; 2 tbsp caster sugar; ½ birdseye chilli, thinly sliced; 1 carrot, sliced into thin ribbons on a mandolin

Vietnamese-style slaw with pickled carrot

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for Vietnamese-style slaw with pickled carrot.

Serves 4

Prep

20M

Cook

Total

25M

We could eat this slaw by the large bowlful, but it’s also excellent served alongside barbecued lemongrass chicken or beef. Pickled carrot is a great fridge staple, too, so make a double batch (or even a triple) – it’s best made a day ahead, and will keep for several weeks. Start this recipe a day ahead to pickle the carrots.

Ingredients

1 garlic clove

1 birdseye chilli, coarsely chopped, or to taste

2 tbsp lime juice, plus wedges to serve

250 gm Chinese cabbage, thinly sliced

½ cup each (loosely packed) Vietnamese mint, coriander and holy basil (see note)

2 red or golden shallots, thinly sliced

To serve: fried shallots (optional)

Pickled carrot

140 ml rice vinegar

50 ml fish sauce

2 tbsp caster sugar

½ birdseye chilli, thinly sliced

1 carrot, sliced into thin ribbons on a mandolin

Method

Main

1.For pickled carrot, bring ingredients, except carrot, and 50ml water to the boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add carrot, remove from heat, cool to room temperature, then transfer to a sterile container and refrigerate overnight.

2.Pound garlic and chilli to a paste with a mortar and pestle. Add lime juice and 60ml pickling liquid from the carrots, stir to combine, then set aside.

3.Drain pickled carrots and toss in a large serving bowl with cabbage, herbs and sliced shallots. Drizzle with dressing to taste, toss lightly and serve scattered with fried shallots.