Henry Lambert, founder of Lambert Development LLC in Raleigh, is also the author of “The Kitchen Sleuth,” which features more than 100 recipes he formulated based on many years of eating and analyzing at different restaurants; and “Pasta & Cheese.” Lambert is also the founder of the Pasta & Cheese chain and ran restaurants at Bergdorf Goodman. Here is one of his popular “Pasta & Cheese” recipes.
Curried Chicken Salad
Serves 2–4 as a main course
Henry Lambert first introduced salads at Pasta & Cheese in 1979 when he opened the store at 72nd Street and Madison Avenue. Lauren Kaye developed this sensational dish, and it was an immediate success. Since then Lambert has seen this salad copied all over New York City, and the enthusiasm for other curried chicken salads has only added to the success of his. The trick is to prepare and trim the chicken well, and as with all of the salads in this book, use the finest ingredients.
1 cup of broccoli florets, cut into bite-size pieces
2 poached whole chicken breasts (separated into 4 halves)
½ cup of diced red pepper
1 cup of curried chutney mayonnaise (see recipe below)
Garnish with thin slices of fruit, such as apples, bananas, pears, grapes.
Bring 1 quart of water with 1 tablespoon of salt to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until it is al dente (5–7 minutes). Drain, the broccoli, rinse it with cold water until it cools, then dry it on paper towels. Transfer the broccoli to a large mixing bowl.
Cut the chicken into ¾-inch cubes and add them to the bowl with the broccoli. Add the red pepper. Toss with the mayonnaise, cover with plastic wrap and chill for one hour or more before serving to let the curry and chutney flavors blend.
To serve, arrange the salad on individual plates and place the garnishes around it.
Curried Chutney Mayonnaise
Makes 1¾ cups
¾ cup of mango chutney, preferably Major Grey’s
1 cup of mayonnaise
2–2½ tablespoons of curry powder (or to taste)
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
Place the chutney in a bowl. Remove any large pieces to a cutting board, coarsely chop them and return them to the bowl.
Add the mayonnaise, curry powder, vinegar and salt. Mix well.Serve immediately or cover with kitchen wrap and keep refrigerated.
