Coronation Chicken Recipe. In June 1953, Queen Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey, and Rosemary Hume, founder of Le Cordon Bleu cookery school, was asked to cater for the celebratory banquet. Her creamy ‘coronation chicken’, studded with fruit and a fragrant hint of spice, achieved what few dishes do – it became an instant classic. I like to serve this as a sort of open sandwich, piled on a thick slice of bread, and crowned with a tangle of watercress. It’s also excellent on top of salad.
Serves 4
4 skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets, about 300g
1 bay leaf
thumb-sized knob of ginger
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon butter
3 spring onions, white and green parts, finely chopped
½ green chilli, finely chopped
2 teaspoons medium curry powder
100ml mayonnaise
100ml natural yoghurt
1 tablespoon mango chutney
1 tablespoon tomato purée
juice of ½ lemon
1 mango, cut into small cubes
30g flaked almonds
small handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
watercress, to garnish, optional
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a large pan of water to the boil, then reduce the heat until simmering gently. Add the chicken thighs, bay leaf, ginger, peppercorns and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover, and poach for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the chicken, shred into small pieces and set aside to cool.
Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the spring onions and chilli and fry for 2–3 minutes, until softened. Add the curry powder and cook for a further 1 minute, then scrape the whole lot into a large mixing bowl.
Add the mayonnaise, yoghurt, mango chutney, tomato purée, lemon juice, mango, almonds and coriander to the bowl and stir to combine. Mix in the shredded chicken, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with watercress, if you like.
Made in London by Leah Hyslop is published by Absolute Press ($45.00) Out now!