Summer 2023

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Coronation
Chicken
The big day may have passed, but
what better way to celebrate the
coronation of King Charles III this
summer than with a delicious dish
of Coronation Chicken?
This dish was originally created
by Constance Spry – an English
food writer – and Rosemary
Hume, a chef, both principals
of the Cordon Bleu Cookery
School in London. They were
asked to prepare the food for
the banquet of the coronation of
Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 and
Spry proposed this recipe of cold
chicken, curry cream sauce and
dressing, which later became
known as Coronation Chicken.
It may also have been inspired
by Jubilee Chicken, a dish that
was prepared even earlier in the
century for the silver jubilee of
George V in 1935, which also
mixed chicken with mayonnaise
and curry.
INGREDIENTS
SERVES 6–8 PEOPLE
6 skinless chicken breasts
A few peppercorns/pinch of salt
Bouquet garni
One carrot
2tsp of mild curry powder or
paste (korma/rogan josh/madras,
according to taste)
150g (5oz) mayonnaise
125g (4oz) crème fraiche
3tbsp mango chutney (Geeta’s is
particularly good)
1tsp Worcester Sauce
2 celery sticks finely chopped
75g (3oz) dried ready-to-eat
apricots chopped
50g (2oz) sultanas
50g (2oz) flaked almonds
(optional – and be wary of nut
allergies if cooking for a party)
Large handful of fresh coriander
finely chopped
METHOD
1 Put the chicken breasts into
a large pan of water with a few
peppercorns, a pinch of salt, a
little bouquet garni and a carrot.
Bring to the boil, then turn down
the heat to simmer and gently
poach for 15 mins. Slice through
a breast just to make sure it is
cooked right through. Drain and
leave to cool. Of course, you can
used leftover roast chicken if you
have enough.
2 When cold, cut or tear the
chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Take a large mixing bowl and
combine all the ingredients in
the list and add seasoning to
taste. Add the chicken pieces to
the mayonnaise mixture and stir
well. Save some of the coriander
to garnish. This can be prepared
the day before, leaving out the
nuts and coriander, cover with
clingfilm and chill in the fridge
overnight.
3 To serve, add the coriander
garnish at the last minute.
Excellent served with a cold
dressed rice and pepper salad or
fresh Cos lettuce.
It’s a dish fit for a King!
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The Cake • Summer 2023 33