Coronation Chicken

Supposedly devised by Constance Spry for the coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth II, her recipe bears a remarkable resemblance to Jubilee Chicken made for the silver jubilee of George V in 1935. And if she can plunder history then so can I.

This is a rather more healthier version with Crème Fraîche and Greek Yogurt replacing the buckets of double cream in the Spry original though no less luscious for it.

Top it off with gold leaf if you want to go regal.
Gold is indigestible so you’ll be poohing gold the next day on the throne.

Traditionally it is served with cold white rice but, in keeping with the health tip, I prefer a bit of fennel and orange salad.

Coronation Chicken recipe

  • 4 happy chicken breasts.
  • Bunch of fresh coriander

Sauce:

  • 100 g Apricots, pre-soaked overnight in Pedro Ximénez
  • 80 g Toasted almonds
  • 3 tbsp Curry powder, toasted on a hot pan2 tbsp Ground Ginger
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 tbsp Apricot Jam
  • 2 tsp Hot Lime Pickle
  • Blend all the above well then stir in:
  • 200 ml Crème fraîche
  • 200 ml Greek Yogurt
Vacuum seal the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and a pinch of curry powder.
Sous Vide at 66°C for 3 hours. Shock with ice to cool.
Chop the cold chicken into small pieces about 1 cm square and mix with the sauce. Chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Just before you serve, mix finely chopped fresh coriander into it. Portion the mixture with a steel ring onto each plate. Top with toasted almonds and a PX apricot. Surround with green leaves of some sort and dust the edge with beetroot powder.