This week we had a few leftovers in the house from Easter, mostly leg of lamb and some pastel colored hard-boiled eggs. Initially I thought maybe I’d do a post on egg salad since national egg salad day (seriously?) occurred last week. Yes I know, egg salad can be boring but it triggered the following chain of thought: “hmm egg salad is boring…how do you spice it up…add some curry maybe?…eggs, chicken…maybe some curried chicken salad….wait I have leftover lamb…maybe I’ll make some curried lamb…hang on…curried lamb salad!” And that, valued readers, is how inspiration sometimes strikes me.
I usually make curried salads in the summer, as they’re great for picnics and are a change from the regular fare people bring. They don’t take much preparation and can easily be made ahead of time. And I must say, this is a great combination of complimentary flavor profiles and textures. With the right amounts you’ll have strong curry flavor, salt, sweetness, a little acid, and a crunchy texture in every bite, as well as lamb. Not only that but making a curried salad uses up your leftover lamb in a radically different style than you normally would. You can only slice off and reheat so much lamb before you start to hear “lamb again, really?” from your family.
This recipe is a snap to put together. I mean come on now, it’s a salad, it should be. Dice up some lamb and mix it in with the other ingredients. You can put it on some bread, mix it with some greens, or even eat it all by itself. Of course the curried lamb salad is best if you let it sit for a while and allow the flavors really meld with each other. Do I need to tell you this is one recipe which might even be better the next day? Hey leftover leftovers! Of course if lamb isn’t your favorite meat you can substitute just about any meat you like in place of lamb, like chicken or pork. Either way, curried salads are perfect as a make-ahead dish for when you need a quick lunch, dinner, or picnic.
Curried Lamb Salad (makes 4 servings)
- 4 C diced lamb
- 1 Tbs curry powder (as always, the better the quality, the better the taste)
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ C mayonnaise
- ½ C diced red pepper
- ½ C green seedless grapes sliced
- ¼ C sliced almonds
- ¼ C diced celery
- 1 Tbs chopped cilantro
- Lemon wedges
- Romaine lettuce
In a large bowl mix the lamb pieces, curry powder, and salt together.
Blend in the mayonnaise. Mix in the red pepper, grapes, celery, and almonds. Add the cilantro and squeeze a couple of lemon wedges over the salad and mix in. Cover and place in refrigerator for an hour or until ready to serve.
Serve as sandwiches, over rice, or on a bed or romaine lettuce.
The Roaming GastroGnome 