From the menu of ... Aria, 490 E. Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta. 404-233-7673, www.aria-atl.com
Q: I love coleslaw and recently had an outstanding slaw at Aria, and I can't stop thinking about it. It had a very refreshing quality, with a wonderful dressing and crispy, cold ingredients. Could you please help? Many thanks.
Carol Weber, Decatur
A: Gerry Klaskala provided the recipe for this slaw, which is served with Aria’s Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes and their Asian mustard vinaigrette. We agree that it’s delicious, and the fresh lime juice and ginger are probably what give it the refreshing quality Weber noted. The recipe is generous. It makes about a cup and a half of dressing, leaving you a little extra for another salad.
Is there a restaurant recipe you'd like to make at home? Tell us and we'll try to get it. We'll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to svanatten@ajc.com and put "From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.
Aria’s Napa Walnut Slaw
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Serves: 8
1/4 (quarter) cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 (half) teaspoon minced fresh ginger
3/4 (three-quarters) cup canola oil
1 small head Napa cabbage (about 3/4 [three-quarters] pound)
1 Granny Smith apple, julienned
1/4 (quarter) cup lightly toasted walnuts, chopped
1/4 (quarter) cup chopped cilantro
In the jar of a blender, make the dressing by combining lime juice, vinegar, sugar, shallot, salt and ginger. Puree, then add oil in a slow stream. This will emulsify into a vinaigrette. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cut the cabbage in half and remove the root end. Starting at the bottom, cut the cabbage into 1/4 (quarter)-inch slices. Stop when you reach the leafy end and reserve the remainder of the cabbage for another use. You should have about 6 cups sliced cabbage. Wash the cabbage slices and soak in cold water to crisp. Can be done up to 2 hours in advance.
When ready to serve, drain cabbage and use a salad spinner to dry. Put the cabbage in a large bowl; add apples, walnuts and cilantro. Toss with just enough dressing to coat generously and serve immediately.
Per serving: 241 calories (percent of calories from fat, 82), 2 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 23 grams fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 277 milligrams sodium.
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