What Can I Use Instead Of Buttermilk In The New Orleans Coleslaw?

Our answer

Nigella's New Orleans Coleslaw (from NIGELLA EXPRESS) has a dressing made from mayonnaise, buttermilk, (apple) cider vinegar and sweetened slightly with maple syrup. The buttermilk and vinegar are both slightly acidic and balance the richness of the mayonnaise.

Buttermilk was traditionally the liquid left over after making butter. During churning most of the fat molecules in cream clump together to form butter and the remaining liquid is mostly water with some milk solids. The cream was also usually fermented before churning, which meant that the buttermilk was slightly acidic. Buttermilk sold in supermarkets nowadays is usually commercially cultured from low or non-fat milk. If you can't find buttermilk then you can use a regular runny plain or natural yogurt as an alternative or a cultured milk product such as kefir (just make sure it is unflavoured and unsweetened). It is possible to make an alternative to buttermilk to use for baking at home by adding 2 teaspoons of white wine or cider vinegar or lemon juice to 125ml (½ cup) of reduced fat or semi-skimmed milk, though for this recipe we feel that yogurt or kefir is a better alternative.