Kimchi Slaw with Gochujang Mayo

Ingredients

• 1/4 small white cabbage (about 250g), core removed
• 1/4 small red cabbage (about 250g), core removed
• 1 large carrot
• 4 spring onions
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 150g cabbage kimchi, well drained
• 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• small handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp gochujang
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

Method

1. Shred the white and red cabbages as finely as you can manage with a sharp knife — thin ribbons take dressing better than chunks, which sit wet and heavy on the bun. Pile into a large bowl, scatter over the fine salt and toss with your hands. Leave for 10 minutes — the salt pulls water out of the cabbage so the slaw stays crisp instead of going soggy once dressed.
2. While the cabbage sits, peel the carrot and grate it on the coarse side of a box grater, or cut into matchsticks if you prefer the bite. Trim the spring onions and slice thinly on the diagonal, greens and all. Drain the kimchi well — squeeze it gently in your hand over the sink to get rid of excess liquid, then chop into rough 1cm pieces.
3. Make the gochujang mayo: in a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, gochujang and rice vinegar together until smooth and a uniform terracotta colour. Taste it — it should be punchy, sharp and warm with chilli heat. If it tastes flat, add another small squeeze of vinegar; the acid is what makes it sing against rich pork.
4. Tip the salted cabbage into a colander and press down firmly with your hands to squeeze out the liquid that's pooled at the bottom of the bowl — you want it damp, not wet. Don't rinse it; the residual seasoning is doing work.
5. Return the cabbage to the (dried) bowl and add the carrot, spring onions, chopped kimchi, sesame oil and most of the sesame seeds. Spoon over about three-quarters of the gochujang mayo and toss thoroughly with your hands or two spoons until every strand is coated and tinted pink-orange. Add the rest of the mayo only if it looks dry — the kimchi releases more moisture as it sits, so err on the side of less.
6. Taste and adjust: more vinegar for sharpness, a pinch of salt if it needs lifting. Scatter over the coriander and the remaining sesame seeds. Serve straight away while the cabbage is at its crunchiest, or rest in the fridge for up to 30 minutes — beyond that the slaw softens and loses its snap.