Coronation Chicken

Well the week of celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of Her Royal Highness, Queen Elizabeth II is coming to a close.  In Britain and throughout the Commonwealth countries the celebrations will continue all year.  But here at Two Chums we will move on to other subjects and just quietly continue to celebrate this monumental occasion.  To close out the week we wanted to give you the very recipe for the chicken that was served at Queen Elizabeth’s coronation celebration 60 years ago…..thus the name…Coronation Chicken.

Amongst the Royal insiders there has been some speculation that this dish is what the Queen had to eat to celebrate this past Tuesday after she returned to Buckingham Palace from the ceremonies at St. Paul’s Cathedral in honour of her Jubilee.  So we looked it up and found that this dish was created 60 year ago.

The famous Coronation Chicken served at the Queen’s coronation lunch is usually attributed to Constance Spry, the floral designer who was responsible for the flower arrangements at the Queens Coronation. Popular lore has it that Spry based the recipe on its similarly rich and spicy royal relation, Jubilee Chicken, prepared for the Silver Jubilee of George V in 1935, which mixed the chicken in mayonnaise and curry.

However, it was her good friend, Rosemary Hume who was actually behind Coronation Chicken, the recipe for which went on to appear in the first edition, in 1956, of The Constance Spry Cookery Book and is indeed still to be found in the modern edition.

I made this chicken just as the recipe calls for it and will give you the original recipe below.  It is worth trying as it is, but because we are all “chums” here, I want to be honest about this recipe.  I found it to be tasty but a bit bland.  The addition of more curry powder and a bit of chutney made a delicious difference.  Start with the original recipe and then get creative.  If you too find it a little bland, experiment with it and add some other seasoning.

Frankly, the best thing to come out of this foray into this historical Royal luncheon, is the Classic French Dressing.

Most French dressings call for ketchup.  Not so with this one that uses chili sauce instead.  It is quite delish and could be used on any salad or to top grilled meat!

So get to the market, get some chicken and curry and chutney and chili sauce and make yourself a meal that is….well….fit for a Queen:)

Coronation Chicken
 

Poach two young roasting chickens with carrot, bouquet garni, salt and pepper in water and a little wine, as well until you have enough barely to cover chicken, for about 40 minutes or until tender.

Allow to cool in the liquid.  Remove the bones with care.

Cream of curry sauce:

1 tbsp oil
2oz onion, finely chopped (approximately 1/2 of an onion)
1 dessert spoon curry powder
1 good tsp tomato purée
1 wineglass red wine
¾ wineglass water
A bay leaf
Salt, sugar, a touch of pepper
A slice or two of lemon and a squeeze of lemon juice
1-2 tbsp apricot purée or apricot jam
¾ pint mayonnaise
2-3 tbsp lightly whipped cream

• Heat the oil, add onion, cook gently for 3-4 minutes, add curry powder. Cook again for 1-2 minutes.

• Add purée, wine, water and bay leaf. Bring to boil, add salt, sugar to taste, pepper, and the lemon and lemon juice. Simmer with the pan uncovered for 5-10 minutes.

• Strain and cool. Add by degrees to the mayonnaise with the apricot purée or jam to taste.

• Adjust seasoning, adding a little more lemon juice if necessary. Finish with the whipped cream. Take a small amount of sauce (enough to coat the chicken) and mix with a little extra cream and seasoning.

• Mix the chicken and the sauce together, arrange on a dish, coat with the extra sauce.

Rice salad

The rice salad which accompanied the chicken was of rice, peas, diced raw cucumber and finely chopped mixed herbs, all mixed in a well-seasoned French dressing*. For convenience in serving at the Coronation, the chicken was arranged at one end of an oblong dish and a rice salad at the other.

French Dressing

1 cup vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup grated onion
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 (12 ounce) bottle chili sauce
1 cup vegetable oil

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix until smooth.  Any unused dressing can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator.