The original coronation chicken recipe, conceived by Rosemary Hume for Elizabeth II's Coronation lunch in 1953.
"One would not venture to serve, to a large number of guests of varying and unknown tastes, a curry dish in the generally accepted sense of this term. I doubt whether many of the 300-odd guests at the coronation luncheon detected this ingredient [curry powder] in a chicken dish which was distinguished mainly by a delicate and nut like flavor in the sauce." Constance Spry
Preparation
Serves 6-8
Poach two young roasting chickens with carrot, bouquet garnish, salt and pepper corns in water and a little wine, as well as enough barely to cover, for about 40 minutes or until tender.
Allow to cool in the liquid. Joint the birds, removing the bones with care.
Cream of curry sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 50g/2oz onion, finely chopped
- 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 450ml/¾ pint mayonnaise
- 2-3 tbsp lightly whipped cream
Preparation
- 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 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.
