Authentic, the formula is simpler than you think.
The internet is filled with copycat attempts at KFC coleslaw... though many of the recipes are good, they are not genuine. The dressing is relatively simple; it is not as complicated as adding milk, buttermilk, or lemon. The recipe is less expensive than the copycats; it uses fewer ingredients, making sense for a chain restaurant needing to control food costs.
What about that Heinz tarragon vinegar? I know this to be a factual ingredient from two sources. I have seen a copy of a Kentucky Fried Chicken 1960's chicken cooking processes and recipe manual. No, the chicken seasoning was not in the manual, but the salad recipes were. The type of vinegar is confirmed in a lawsuit initiated by Kentucky Fried Chicken Corp. against Famous Recipe Fried Chicken Inc. (better known as Lee's Famous Recipe Fried Chicken) in Toledo, Ohio's U.S. District Court, filed in 1966. Lee Cummings, the owner and founder, was the nephew of Harlan Sanders; he was a key person in his restaurant chain. http://news.google.com/newspapers? Colonel Wins in Court
Most of my friends and family members love KFC Coleslaw. It's crisp, sweet, and seemingly spicy... it has that bit of backbite taste that is hard to identify. The other element I found curious was the thin, liquid-like sauce the coleslaw was in. How was that produced? Did they add milk to it? There is oil, vinegar, and commercial dressing in the coleslaw. The vinegar in the slaw is part of that "heat-like bite"; the other part is a regular yellow onion.
1 ½ Heads of Cabbage
1/3 Cup Onion
½ Cup Carrot
½ Cup Salad Oil
½ Cup Heinz Tarragon Vinegar
1 3/4 Cup's Miracle Whip
1 Cup plus 1 Tablespoon Sugar (I actually cut this down to 3/4 cup)
1 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
A splash of water, just a little
You will want to use a food processor to chop the cabbage, carrot, and onion into confetti. Core and roughly chop the cabbage in a Cuisinart-style food processor, pulse it a few times until it reaches the correct size (do not over pulse). Peel and roughly chop cabbage, carrots, and onions separately. This is important, especially with the carrots, as the color will bleed and cause the cabbage and onions to turn orange.
Prepare the dressing separately - place all ingredients in a mixing bowl in their indicated measured proportions, saving the oil. Using a hand or a stand mixer, combine all of the ingredients. Add oil slowly and continue mixing for about a minute until thoroughly mixed. You can even mix the dressing in advance and refrigerate it.
Pour the dressing over the coleslaw and combine till using a rubber spatula. You will need to allow the coleslaw to marinade overnight.
At this point, the coleslaw consistency differs from KFC; it will appear thicker and almost frothy. You will also note a strong scent of very offensively pungent vinegar. Ignore both the consistency of the coleslaw and the high aroma of vinegar. Both issues will resolve themselves during the marination process. Trust me, that vinegar scent dissipates, and the dressing will achieve that relatively thin consistency. This is the real McCoy.
You will want to use a food processor to chop the cabbage, carrot, and onion into confetti. Core and roughly chop the cabbage in a Cuisinart-style food processor, pulse it a few times until it reaches the correct size (do not over pulse). Peel and roughly chop cabbage, carrots, and onions separately. This is important, especially with the carrots, as the color will bleed and cause the cabbage and onions to turn orange.
Prepare the dressing separately - place all ingredients in a mixing bowl in their indicated measured proportions, saving the oil. Using a hand or a stand mixer, combine all of the ingredients. Add oil slowly and continue mixing for about a minute until thoroughly mixed. You can even mix the dressing in advance and refrigerate it.
Pour the dressing over the coleslaw and combine till using a rubber spatula. You will need to allow the coleslaw to marinade overnight.
At this point, the coleslaw consistency differs from KFC; it will appear thicker and almost frothy. You will also note a strong scent of very offensively pungent vinegar. Ignore both the consistency of the coleslaw and the high aroma of vinegar. Both issues will resolve themselves during the marination process. Trust me, that vinegar scent dissipates, and the dressing will achieve that relatively thin consistency. This is the real McCoy.
