All-in-One Lamb Salad with Horseradish, Watercress (or Arugula), and Celery



And now for the final entry in my week-long experiment with Food52. Their new(ish) cookbook A New Way to Dinner has been my inspiration for a week of lamb-based meals (although the creamed broccoli rabe (that tried to sell itself as creamed kale) was the hit of the week), and what a week it was.


This is a big, peppery, leftovers salad, and I highly encourage playing around with ingredients.  Have fresh peas? Blanch them quickly and then throw them in. Need to get rid of some waxy red potatoes? Boil them briskly and then slice them into this salad. Truly, I think this tasty salad could just be a gateway to whatever is fresh and in your fridge. Seriously, we're using leftover lamb here. I see no reason to not clean out other parts of your pantry.


As it is, the crisp celery next to the bitter arugula, the piquant horseradish mixed into the creamy buttermilk: friends, this is as perfect for the dead of winter as it is the heyday of summer. This invites playing around, and then digging into a crisp, distinctively pungent, and creamy salad. My mouth is watering as I type this.


Finally, a note on horseradish: if you are lucky enough to have procured fresh horseradish, omit the prepared horseradish in the dressing and grate it over the salad. You are in for a treat. However, the prepared horseradish is just delightful as well. (P.S. Want to know how horseradish got its English name?  I did.  See here.)


Okay, friends, it's leftovers time, and this salad will make you forget that you're eating leftover lamb. Instead, it will feel like the main attraction for the week.  And with that, I am delighted to have cooked a week's worth A New Way to Dinner.  No doubt that I'll be doing this again. And, of course, I will keep you posted. 






All-in-One Lamb Salad with Horseradish, Watercress (or Arugula), and Celery

Adapted from Food 52's A New Way to Dinner

Yield:
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 cups torn romaine
3 cups watercress or arugula
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
Cubed leftover lamb (about 1 1/2 to 2 cups)
1/3 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp buttermilk
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp grainy mustard
1 Tbsp heavy cream
1 Tbsp prepared horseradish
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, fold together the romaine, watercress (or arugula), celery, and lamb. 

2.  Combine the olive oil through the black pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Screw on the lid and shake vigorously until smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Store int he fridge for about 2 weeks.  Makes 1 cup.

3.  Add 1/3 cup of the dressing (save the rest for future salads!) to the salad. Toss well and add more dressing as needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

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