A Recipe From the Chef: Samir Mohajer's Cabbage Patch Slaw

A. Scattergood

Cabbage Patch slaw at Cabbage Patch

Samir Mohajer likes cabbage. The chef, who is getting ready to open his third Cabbage Patch this September, not only named his restaurants after the vegetable (and the dance, not the doll; read our recent interview with the chef on this and other issues), but he has, of course, plenty of it on his menu, mostly in the form of a lovely Cabbage Patch slaw.

Sure, you can order Mohajer's rice bowls, soups, plates of falafel or housemade flatbread, his chopped salad (with cabbage) and various sandwiches (with cabbage slaw), but when in a place called Cabbage Patch, you would do well to order a whole bowl filled with the stuff. Built with a not insignificant amount of savoy cabbage and radicchio and jicama and cilantro and peanuts, and dressed with a honey-mustard dressing laced with cayenne and paprika and fresh oregano, it's pretty much a meal unto itself. If you can't make it over to Beverly Hills or Playa Vista -- downtown is still a month or so away -- you can just make it yourself. Turn the page for the recipe.

Cabbage Patch slaw
From: Samir Mohajer, chef-owner of Cabbage Patch
Note: The dressing should be made first and the salad dressed to taste; any remaining dressing can be saved for another use.
Makes: About 12 side salad portions

Dressing:

1 teaspoon paprika
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup toasted peanuts
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano
1 1/2 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup Champagne vinegar
1/2 cup honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. In a blender mix together the herbs, spices, honey, mustard, peanuts, and vinegar. Drizzle in the oils slowly, until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Slaw and assembly:

1 large head of savoy cabbage, shredded thinly with a knife or a mandoline
1 medium head of radicchio, shredded thinly with a knife or a mandoline
1/2 of a large jicama, shredded thinly with a knife or a mandoline
1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup toasted peanuts, roughly chopped

1. In a large bowl, mix together the cabbage, radicchio, jicama and cilantro. Toss with dressing (to taste), season with salt and pepper (also to taste) and garnish with toasted peanuts. Divide between bowls and serve immediately.