WR0022 Tarragon Coleslaw

Tarragon Coleslaw

Published July 11, 2020, by Ivan

I love KFC Coleslaw, and I always ordered a quart back in the day when KFC actually sold quart servings. As KFC serving sizes for coleslaw shrank, then my desire to duplicate the recipe became more desperate. What was that magical flavor in their coleslaw that I had to have?

One day I was talking to a friend about KFC Coleslaw. He said the signature ingredient was tarragon. He had worked for KFC for many years, and they made it fresh daily. I made the KFC style coleslaw for my dad since he loves KFC. I said my coleslaw is perfect because it has tarragon. My dad said, “I don’t like tarragon, and that’s why I never ate their coleslaw.” Well, that was a confirmation on the special ingredient. This recipe is not for my dad, but all the die-hard KFC Coleslaw lovers like me. But if your not a fan of tarragon, then just leave it out. You can add sesame oil, peanut butter, or raspberries as an ingredient. So let’s get started.

INGREDIENTS (Makes 3 Cups)
1 Head of Cabbage
3 Tbsp Sugar
3 Tbsp White Vinegar
1 Tbsp Tarragon (Dried)
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/4 cup Carrot
4 Tbsp Mayonnaise
Jar Measure 3 cups

How to make Tarragon Coleslaw

1. Here are the ingredients that I used, except for the sesame oil. When I make a recipe, I always try to improve on it. In this case, the sesame oil wouldn’t have taken me to that KFC Coleslaw nirvana, so I didn’t use it. Sesame oil would be great, but it would drown out the tarragon flavor I was trying to reproduce.

2. Dice enough cabbage along with a 1/4 cup of carrots to fit into a 3-cup jar. I added just enough water to cover the vegetables and measured the water in the jar by pouring it into a measuring cup. This will let me know how much dressing I need to make. Unlike other coleslaw recipes, KFC coleslaw is on the wetside, so I know the raw cabbage will also add additional moisture as it rests. My other coleslaw recipes call for sweating out the cabbage moisture with salt, but that’s another recipe. In this recipe, I had one cup of water displacement from the three-cup jar. This information will help me to duplicate or modify the recipe to make massive amounts of KFC style coleslaw for parties in the future.

3. Heat a small saucepan to simmer temperature. Add 1tsp dried tarragon and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Sweat the oils out of the tarragon, so avoid browning the tarragon. The tarragon oil has slowly reached 183° in 3 minutes without browning, so turn off the heat and allow the oil to cool.

4. In a bowl or a measuring cup, add 4 Tbsp mayonnaise, 3 Tbsp sugar, and 3 Tbsp white vinegar, then add 1/4 tsp tarragon oil along with the leaves. Mix the dressing and taste it. Tarragon flavor will vary wildly in dried tarragon or bottle tarragon oil, so start in small portions. Add more tarragon oil, sugar, or salt, until the dressing makes you dance with joy. If your dressing doesn’t make you happy, then your guest will feel the same.

5. Pour your dressing over the cabbage slaw. Lid the jar and shake the jar to mix the dressing.

6. KFC Coleslaw is a wet slaw so sweat the coleslaw overnight in the refrigerator. The slaw will release water as it marinates but this slaw is ready to be served with the thick dressing.

Plating: Serve as a side with your favorite entree or appetizer. I love coleslaw on my hotdog, bratwurst, or polish sausage with mustard. But that’s just me.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy your own Tarragon Coleslaw. Remember to share your recipes.

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