You’re going to love the combination of flavours and textures in this complex-tasting, yet easily-prepared salad. Sweet yam, smokey ham and the crunch of curried almonds make this salad suitable for anything from brunch to dinner. The trick to getting from cutting board to plate in thirty minutes is to toast the almonds and make the dressing while the yams are cooking and cooling.
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 large yam – peeled and diced to ½” ½ pound smoked ham – diced to ½” 6 green onions – thinly sliced 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil ¼ sliced almonds ½ teaspoon ground cumin 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar ¼ teaspoon chili powder ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ⅛ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper 1 head leaf lettuce – tornPreparation:
Place the yam in a pot and cover it with water. Place it on high heat until it comes to a boil then reduce to a simmer for ten minutes. Drain the yam and place it in a large bowl along with the ham and green onion.
While the yam is cooking, put one tablespoon of the oil in a small pan and place it over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin, stirring for thirty seconds. Add the almonds to the pot and stir often until they begin to brown. Remove them from the heat immediately.
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, chili, salt and pepper then whisk in the oil to make a dressing.
Pour half of this dressing into the bowl with the yam and ham, tossing gently to distribute it.
Plate the lettuce first, followed by the yam mixture. Sprinkle the almonds on top and drizzle with the remaining dressing.