Coronation Chicken : Just right for a Celebration

Did you know that Coronation chicken was first created to celebrate the Queen's coronation in 1953, and has been a firm favourite ever since.

Details from Wikipedia state "Constance Spry, an English food writer and flower arranger, and Rosemary Hume, a chef, both principals of the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London, are credited with the invention of coronation chicken. Preparing the food for the banquet of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, Spry proposed the recipe of cold chicken, curry cream sauce and dressing that would later become known as coronation chicken.

Coronation chicken may have been inspired by jubilee chicken, a dish prepared for the silver jubilee of George V in 1935, which mixed chicken with mayonnaise and curry. Additionally, for the Queen's Golden Jubilee in 2002, another celebratory dish was devised, also called Jubilee chicken."

If you'd like to have your own special occasion featuring this dish these are the ingredients you will need ...

Serves Six
1 chicken stock cube
500 g (British) chicken breast fillet
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp mild curry powder
1 tbsp tomato purée
0.5 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp apricot jam
Zest and juice of ½ a washed, unwaxed lemon
100 ml (lighter) mayonnaise
100 ml 2% fat natural yogurt
60 g flaked almonds
2 tbsp washed and chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Fresh watercress leaves, washed, to garnish

Optional - Crusty white bread, to serve

Here is how to make the dish ...

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the stock cube and stir to dissolve. Reduce to a simmer and poach the chicken breasts for 5-10 minutes (depending on the size of the fillets) until cooked through and no pink colour remains. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to cool before shredding. Discard the stock.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and cook the onion for about 10 minutes, until softened. Stir in the curry powder, tomato purée, cider vinegar and jam, and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and spoon into a large bowl.
3. Add the shredded chicken along with the lemon zest and juice, mayonnaise, yogurt, ⅔ of the flaked almonds and 1 tablespoon of the parsley and stir until well coated.

4. To serve, place on a serving platter and garnish with the watercress and remaining almonds and parsley.

Optional - Serve with some crusty white bread.

Original recipe idea here 

I wonder, may I offer you a glass of wine to go with this dish or would you prefer something else?

... we try and bring a variety of recipe ideas to this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan