When I think of Christmas lunch, the first thing that comes to mind is Prawn cocktail.

Growing up, Christmas was the only time we ever had this. It was really just some prawn or shrimp in a pink sauce (tomato sauce mixed with mayonnaise) served on lettuce. The glass it was served in made it feel very grand though. Perhaps one of the reasons that Christmas is such a grand affair to me.

Ever since I’ve been married the family have come to our house for Christmas lunch. In keeping with the tradition of the Prawn cocktail, but adding a modern twist, my husband and I have experimented with the recipe quite a bit, and so the Sweet Curried Lobster salad was born.

Served on lettuce in a fancy glass just like when we were kids, this is the grown-up version of the Prawn cocktail and now a Christmas tradition in my home.

TIP:

The salad can be made ahead of time. Prepare the night before to save time on Christmas day, but don’t add the tomato or avocado. Refrigerate the salad overnight and add the tomato and avocado just before serving on Christmas day.

I hope your family enjoys this Sweet Curried Lobster salad just as much as mine does!

Sweet Curried Lobster salad

Author: Natasha Marais

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Course Appetizer

Cuisine South African

Ingredients

Salad:

700 grams lobster tails
½ red onion diced
1 celery stalk finely chopped
handful fresh fennel fronds finely chopped
10 cherry tomatoes quartered
½ green pepper diced
1 green chilli chopped
1 avocado diced
lettuce for serving

Dressing:

3 tsp yellow curry powder
3 tsp brown sugar
3 tbsp boiling water
5 tbsp mayonnaise
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling add some salt and the lobster tails. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes only.
Remove from pot and set aside to cool down.
Once the tails have cooled down, cut open down the center of the tail and remove the meat. Gently breaking the piece of meat in half will expose the vein which can now be easily removed.
Chop roughly, not too small, then add to the rest of the salad ingredients.
For the dressing, add curry powder and brown sugar to a mixing bowl. Add boiling water (just enough to dissolve), then add mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Add dressing to salad and combine well. Serve with shredded lettuce in a glass. Any kind of lettuce will work just fine.
Enjoy!