Coronation Chicken

Coronation chicken is a dish that was prepared for the banquet of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. It is a combination of precooked cold chicken meat, herbs and spices and a creamy mayonnaise-based sauce. Over the time it has become a great British classic. It can be eaten as a salad or used to make sandwiches. The original dish it is flavored with curry powder because fresh curry spices were almost unobtainable in post-war Britain. This version from Gordon Ramsay uses Mango Chutney, Garam Masala and fresh Mango. A friend recently brought it to a Potluck and everybody loved it, thank you Beth, for passing on the recipe. 

If you read my last post, this chicken goes great with the flat bread and makes a great snack during the day or is a great addition to a healthy dinner.

Coronation Chicken

(adapted from Gordon Ramsay)

• Ingredients
• 4 free-range chicken breasts, with skin on
• 500ml chicken stock
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
• 125ml  crème fraîche
• 100ml mayonnaise
• 1-2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon mango chutney
• Flesh of 1 fresh mango, finely diced
• Freshly ground salt and pepper
• Flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
• Walnuts, to serve
• Note:
• I added the juice of 1/2 lime and 1 teaspoon of a mild Curry Powder

Remove any excess fat or sinew from the chicken breasts. Bring the stock to the boil, add thyme, bay leaf and coriander seeds and then poach for 5 minutes. Lift the breasts from the stock and allow to cool. The stock can be reserved for another use.

Mix the crème fraîche, mayonnaise and garam masala. Add the chutney and mango and season well. The dressing needs to have a subtle kick without becoming overpowering.

Skin chicken breasts and cut into bite- size pieces. Add to dressing, cover and chill in fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight. Garnish with flat- leaf parsley and walnuts before serving