003 / 75 · Savory Garden Molds
Carrot Cabbage Supper Slaw Mold
One small slaw mold, about 3 cups (720 ml); 6 vegetable side portions · Active 30 min · Total 9 hr 30 min
Print recipe · PDFFine cabbage and carrot sit in a clear, lightly savory gel rather than a mayonnaise dressing. A little pimento adds a red note without dominating the vegetables. Cut the shreds short enough that a cold slice can be divided neatly with a fork.
Slaw remains a side
The word supper describes where this mold belongs on a plate, not the nutrition of a whole meal. Serve a modest slice with a separately prepared main dish and bread or potatoes if wanted. A mild clear vegetable broth lets the cabbage remain recognizable. Gelatin is animal-derived even when the broth and vegetables contain no meat, so do not label this a vegetarian slaw.
Short shreds make a better cross-section
Long cabbage ribbons may look attractive in a loose bowl but can pull a molded slice apart. Shred finely, then cut across the pile once or twice to keep pieces shorter than an inch. Grate carrot coarsely rather than puréeing it, and blot both vegetables after washing. Drain the pimento thoroughly; its packing liquid is not part of the broth measure.
Suspend without trapping a bowl of air
Let the dissolved base become lightly syrupy in the refrigerator before folding in the vegetables. Use a spoon and slow turns rather than a vigorous whisk, which can leave a cloudy foam. Spoon into the loaf mold from a low height and tap its base gently once on a folded towel. Keep it level in the refrigerator. The resulting face should show fine orange and pale green pieces throughout, not a solid vegetable layer sitting under empty jelly.
Ingredients
- Unflavored powdered gelatin, 12 g (one standard 7 g envelope plus 5 g weighed from another), of the specified setting strength
- ¼ cup cold drinking water (60 ml)
- 2 cups clear ready-to-use mild vegetable broth (480 ml), divided
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar (15 ml)
- 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar (6 g)
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt (0.75 g), or omit if broth is salty
- 1 cup very finely shredded cabbage, cut short (80 g), washed and dried
- ½ cup coarsely grated carrot (60 g), washed, peeled and blotted dry
- 2 tablespoons drained jarred pimento dice (20 g), blotted dry
- ¼ teaspoon neutral oil (1.25 ml), for wiping mold
Set out
Knife and stable board, Coarse grater, Kitchen scale and measuring jug, Small saucepan, Mixing bowl and spoon, External cool-water bath bowl, Metal loaf mold of at least 1-liter capacity, Paper towel, Cold serving plate, Refrigerator
Allergens
No major US allergen identified in the base ingredients. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Measure the loaf mold capacity with water, then empty, dry and wipe with oil. Prepare short fine cabbage shreds, grated carrot and dry pimento dice. Keep prepared vegetables refrigerated. Sprinkle gelatin over the 60 ml cold water in the bowl and bloom 5–10 minutes.
- Heat 1 cup (240 ml) broth with sugar and salt until steaming but not boiling, around 140–150°F (60–65°C). Remove from heat and stir into bloomed gelatin until fully dissolved. Add the remaining 240 ml broth and vinegar.
- Cool briefly using the external cool-water bath, then refrigerate 20–40 minutes, stirring gently every 10 minutes, until the liquid just thickens like a thin syrup. Fold in cabbage, carrot and pimento with a spoon. Transfer to the mold, keeping at least ½ inch (1.25 cm) headroom; use a small separate cup for any excess.
- Cover and refrigerate at 40°F (4°C) or below for at least 8 hours and until firm through the center. Allow at least 9½ hours total including cutting and the suspension stage; a slower setting stage extends this.
- For unmolding, set a cold plate beside the refrigerator. Dip only the outside of the metal mold in warm, not hot, water, about 100°F (38°C), for 5–8 seconds without letting water touch food. Dry the outside, loosen just the upper edge with a clean fingertip and invert onto the plate. If stuck, repeat a brief dip rather than shaking violently. Refrigerate again immediately if not serving now. Cut six small side slices, wiping the knife between cuts.
Gelatin starting strength
Use food-grade unflavored powdered gelatin with a manufacturer benchmark of 7 g for about 2 cups (500 ml) plain liquid. Weigh the stated grams: envelope sizes and powder density vary. A flavored dessert packet, collagen peptides, sheet gelatin or agar is not an equal substitute.
Cold service
This is an original retro-inspired recipe, not a recovered 1960s formula. Gelatin is animal-derived; the vegetable ingredients do not make the dish vegetarian. A reliable refrigerator and the stated earlier ingredient deadlines are essential.
Ingredient labels
Broth may contain celery, wheat, soy or other allergens; check the actual product. No free-from claim follows from the vegetable list.
A useful detail
Free liquid totals 555 ml: 60 ml bloom water +480 ml broth +15 ml vinegar. The 160 g prepared vegetables contain additional moisture, so 12 g gelatin and thoroughly dried cuts are intentional. Do not substitute a large can of undrained vegetables into that balance.
Another way
- Replace pimento with 20 g very finely diced washed red bell pepper, dried thoroughly, for a crisper new inclusion.
- Use clear ready-to-use chicken broth instead of vegetable broth; check its actual allergen label and describe the new broth choice.
Keep it well
Keep covered at 40°F (4°C) or below. Use within 2 days of assembly or the earliest ingredient deadline, whichever comes first. Include the overnight setting period in that limit. Keep total unrefrigerated preparation and serving below 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C). Chill slices promptly after service; discard food exceeding those limits. Do not freeze; freezing damages the gel and releases water.