Curried Turkey Salad with Grapes and Almonds

Jul 25, 2009 by Anna Migeon

This savory-sweet dish brings together high protein, low fat, fresh fruit, nuts and lots of complementary, mouthwatering flavors. It’s hearty, sticks-to-your ribs, yet is fresh and cool for summer weather. It’s a perfect caveman diet dish (except for that little bit of sugary chutney).

I wonder: why do we eat so much chicken and so little turkey? Turkey is not only cheaper but much higher protein and much lower fat than chicken. It makes for a nice change in flavor, too.

I made double this amount for three people and we were eating it for days. A good idea might be to go ahead and poach 5 lbs of turkey and freeze half for quick fixing later.

1. Poach the turkey breast: place it in a stockpot with 2 ½ quarts of water, the carrot, onion, celery, bay leaf, peppercorns, parsley and thyme. Simmer over moderate heat for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until the juices run clear with the turkey is pierced with a fork or when a meat thermometer registers an internal temperature of 165.° Let the turkey cool to close to room temperature in the stock.

2 ½ lbs turkey breast

1 medium carrot

½ medium onion, quartered

1 celery stalk with leaves

1 bay leaf

3 black peppercorns

A few sprigs of parsley

1 t dried thyme or a few branches of fresh

2. Meanwhile, make the curry mayonnaise: In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise with the curry powder, chutney, cumin, basil and cayenne. Add the wine and lemon juice and mix well. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

¾ C mayonnaise

¾ T curry powder

2 T mango chutney (an Indian jam-style condiment found in grocery stores. Super simple to make yourself, too. Recipe to come)

1/8 t cumin

1 ½ T chopped fresh basil leaves (1/2 t dried)

A couple of pinches of cayenne pepper

1 T white wine

1 T fresh lemon juice

Salt & pepper

4 oz slivered blanched or raw almonds (about 1 C)

1 lb seedless green grapes

Salads greens or watercress for serving

3. Optional: In a large ungreased skillet, toast the almonds over moderate heat until golden brown.

4. Remove the turkey breast from the stock (Discard all the other solids from the stock. Freeze the stock for soup later) and remove the meat from the bones and tear or cut the meat into bite sizes or ¼ inch or so strips. Mix the meat with ¾ C mayonnaise, adding more if the mixture seems dry. Add the almonds and grapes and gently incorporate them. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes.

5. Optional: serve with salad or watercress, and/or additional chutney if desired.

From The Best of Food & Wine: Vegetables, Salads & Grains (1993)