Coronation Chicken Salad

In honor of King Charles III's coronation this weekend, I'm making a special dish originated during his mother's coronation. The British call it Coronation Chicken. 

Julian's Coronation Chicken Salad
on Buckingham Palace 2001 British Bone China

Served on a Croissant 

Coronation chicken was invented for a lunchtime function attended by several hundred foreign dignitaries who were in London for the Queen's celebration. The dish is often attributed to the florist, interior designer and general domestic goddess Constance Spry, who was responsible for the flower arrangements at the coronation. Its recipe was published for the first time in 1956 in The Constance Spry Cookery Book – a 1,000-plus-page tome of 1950s home economics. In reality, coronation chicken was created by the florist’s friend and collaborator Rosemary Hume. Hume was a respected chef who had founded the L’Ecole du Petit Cordon Bleu cooking school in 1933. In 1946 Hume and Spry joined forces to open a domestic science school in Winkfield Place, Berkshire, England and when the college’s students were asked to cater for the coronation lunch, Hume invented a new dish for them to serve.

As Served at Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Luncheon

These days, most people expect coronation chicken to be a bright yellow color, somewhat sweet with golden raisins (what the British call sultanas) with lumps of fruit and with a spicy curry sauce. But Hume’s original dish, as expected from someone who trained in Paris under the classical culinary master Henri-Paul Pellaprat, was very different to the sandwich filling that would take its name. This was a subtle, creamy dish, delicate in flavor and color, and created with not a single "sultana." It was designed to be served with a rice salad dotted with baby green peas, rather than as a sandwich spread. Today however, I'm serving it on croissants. 

From my China Collection, this British Bone China
piece is from a 2001 visit to Buckingham Palace and the design
is inspired by the main staircase design.
A limited edition of 1,000 pieces sold. 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon onion (or 1 shallot), finely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoon mild curry powder
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsweetened heavy cream (or substitute crème fraiche)

1 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon apricot preserves
1 whole, medium sized chicken, cooked, skinned, boned and shredded

     (I purchase a rotisserie chicken.)

1/2 cup golden raisins (sultanas) optional
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add in the onion, bay leaf and curry powder and gently cook for 2 minutes. Add in the tomato paste, red wine and water, and bring to a gentle boil. Add in the lemon juice and a pinch of sugar, then season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Simmer for 2 minutes, until the sauce is slightly reduced, then remove from the heat. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and allow it to cool.

In a large bowl using a whisk, whip the heavy cream for 1-2 minutes to thicken slightly. Then whisk in the prepared sauce, mayonnaise, and apricot puree. Fold in the cooked shredded chicken, gently combining all the ingredients. 

Serve the coronation chicken with a room temperature rice side dotted with baby peas (as originally done) or as a filling for sandwiches or on leaves of fresh lettuce.