Coronation Chicken

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There can be very few people in the UK who have never eaten Coronation Chicken: tender poached chicken, swathed in an unctuous, sweet, mildly spiced, curried mayonnaise. Created for the Queen’s coronation 70 years ago, the recipe reflected and celebrated the cultural diversity of the British Commonwealth. It has since become a dish etched into our common culinary consciousness and can be found everywhere, from top class restaurants to motorway service stations, from summer fêtes to packed lunches and picnics.

Who created this recipe?

Poulet Reine Elizabeth, as it was initially called, was created by  Rosemary Hume, founder of Le Cordon Bleu London and was served at the Coronation Luncheon in 1953. It was described as ‘chicken, boned and coated in curry cream sauce, with, one end of each dish, a well-seasoned, dressed salad of rice, green peas and pimentos.’

Curries are so incredibly popular in the UK now, it is hard to believe that serving rice and spiced chicken would have been considered unusual and extremely exotic, and quite unlike the majority of food typically eaten. Remembering, of course, that this was a UK barely out of post war rationing. The fact that Coronation Chicken was so well received when it was first made, and that it has stood the test of time for 70 years, shows what a fabulous dish this is.

What is the best way to serve Coronation Chicken?

Coronation Chicken is most commonly served in sandwiches these days, delicious on either sliced brown bread or in a toasted brioche bap. However, it also makes frequent appearances on buffet tables, and is wonderful served the original way, with a dressed rice salad. (See here for my recipe Rice, Pea, Sweetcorn and Red Pepper Salad with a Lime and Honey Dressing.)

British Sandwich Week 22nd – 28th May 2022

Given that it is British Sandwich Week in the UK this week, I put it to you, that the enduring, historical, addictively delicious Coronation Chicken Sandwich is ‘Britain’s Best Butty!

How to make Coronation Chicken

Collect all your ingredients together:

For the chicken –

• skinless chicken breasts
• lemon slices
• bay leaves
• garlic cloves, crushed
• fine salt
• freshly ground black pepper

For the Coronation Sauce –

• apricot jam
• water
• sultanas
• spring onions, trimmed and roughly sliced
• coriander leaves, thick stems removed
• lime or lemon juice
• curry powder
• turmeric powder
• cumin powder
• good quality mayonnaise. I use Hellman’s
• Greek yoghurt

To serve –

• Serve with Rice, Pea, Sweetcorn and Red Pepper Salad with a Lime and Honey Dressing
• I love it served with hard boiled eggs
• Serve in toasted brioche with fresh spinach
• Or in a brown bread sandwich

How to make this delicious, historical dish:

1. First cook the chicken: take the chicken out of the fridge around 30 minutes before you plan to cook it.
2. Bring a pan of water to the boil with the lemon slices from 1/2 lemon, the peeled and crushed garlic, bay leaves and salt and pepper.
3. When the water boils, add the chicken, ensuring both breasts are submerged in the water. Bring back to the boil, put a lid on, take off the heat and leave for 25 minutes in the hot water.
4. After 25 minutes, remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes before chopping into slices or cubes. Set aside to cool.
5. Make the curried sauce: heat the apricot jam and water in a small saucepan. Beat to mix thoroughly, whilst it heats.
6. When it comes to the boil, tip into a sieve placed over a small bowl. Strain the jam.
7. Immediately add the sultanas to the jam to absorb some liquid and plump up.
8. Meanwhile, blitz the spring onions and coriander in a food processor and until finely chopped.
9. Add the lime or lemon juice and the spices and blitz again.
10. For a thick sauce – weigh the mayonnaise and Greek yoghurt into a bowl and stir in the contents of the food processor, as well as the apricot jam and sultanas.
11. Or for a thinner sauce – add the mayonnaise and Greek yoghurt to the food processor and blitz until thoroughly mixed. Stir in the apricot jam and sultanas, by hand.
12. Stir the chopped chicken in to the curry sauce. It is now ready to serve.

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Made this recipe?

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