Coronation Chicken

Coronation Chicken

A cold, creamy poached chicken salad invented in 1953 to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. Mildly spiced with curry powder and gently sharpened with lemon, it is the classic British buffet centrepiece.

Prep

20 min

Cook

30 min

Total

50 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •900 g (2 lb) skinless chicken breasts (bone-in), poaching keeps the meat moist
• •1 whole (1 medium) onion, halved, for the poaching liquid
• •1 whole bay leaf
• •10 whole black peppercorns
• •180 g (6½ oz / ¾ cup) Greek-style natural yogurt, full-fat is traditional
• •120 ml (½ cup) mayonnaise, adds richness alongside the yogurt
• •2 tbsp mild curry powder, use a British-style blend such as Mild Madras
• •1 tsp tomato purée
• •2 tbsp lemon juice, from about ½ lemon
• •1 small (1 small (about 100 g)) onion, finely chopped
• •1 medium (1 medium (about 100 g)) tomato, peeled, deseeded, finely diced
• •1 tbsp finely chopped fresh apricot or mango chutney, optional but traditional; sweetens the sauce
• •20 g (¼ cup) flaked almonds, toasted, for garnish
• •salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps

1. 1 Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in a deep pan. Add the halved onion, bay leaf, peppercorns and just enough cold water to cover (about 750 ml / 3 cups). Season lightly with salt.
2. 2 Bring slowly to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat so the liquid barely moves. Poach for 18–22 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked through; the internal temperature should read 74 °C (165 °F) on an instant-read thermometer at the thickest part.
3. 3 Lift the chicken out, cover and leave to cool completely, then chill for at least 1 hour. Strain the poaching liquid, reduce it to about 60 ml (¼ cup) by simmering, and reserve.
4. 4 While the chicken cools, make the sauce: warm 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise in a small pan, stir in the curry powder and cook gently for 1 minute until fragrant — this blooms the spices without browning them.
5. 5 Off the heat, stir in the tomato purée, the reserved reduced cooking liquid, and the chutney. Leave to cool, then whisk in the yogurt, the remaining mayonnaise and the lemon juice. Season with salt, pepper and extra lemon to taste.
6. 6 Dice the chilled chicken into bite-sized pieces and fold it through the sauce together with the finely chopped raw onion and diced tomato.
7. 7 Cover and chill for at least 1 hour so the flavours mingle (overnight is better).
8. 8 To serve, pile onto a platter, scatter with the toasted flaked almonds, and serve with cold rice, dressed lettuce, or sandwiched in soft white bread.