This Side of the Pond

Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 70 years of reigning over the British people with a trip down memory lane. It was a reminiscence, in fact, that took her all the way back to dinnertime on her first day as head of state.

All the way back in 1953, two ladies were charged with coming up with an idea for a new and exciting dish that could be served at the coronation banquet. All manner of foreign dignitaries had been invited, so it needed to suit a wide range of palates (it had to be flavorful, but not too flavorful) while simultaneously celebrating the princess who was about to become a queen.

A few more caveats needed to be borne in mind: because the banquet was to be in the style of a picnic, the dish would need to be served cold. It also needed to be something that home cooks could recreate for their own coronation street parties, because this was the era of bunting across cobbled streets.

For this reason, the dish needed to make use of ingredients that could actually be sourced at the time, when post-war rationing had barely come to an end and imported goods were scarce.

The two ladies put their heads together and came up with an idea.

A couple of decades beforehand, Elizabeth’s grandfather had celebrated his Silver Jubilee. To honor that particular occasion, a dish of chicken dressed with mayonnaise and curry powder was devised and given the fitting name of Jubilee Chicken.

They took this idea and ran with it, inventing a combination of chicken, herbs, spices and a creamy sauce they decided to call Poulet Reine Elizabeth, which translates to “Coronation Chicken”. Again, a decidedly appropriate title, though not exactly imaginative. The recipe was published widely so that Elizabeth II’s subjects could celebrate in style on her big day.

But food writer Constance Spry and florist-slash-chef Rosemary Hume weren’t necessarily the ones who put in all the hard work to perfect this brand new recipe. On the eve of her Platinum Jubilee last weekend, the Queen got the chance to finally meet the woman who did.

Angela Wood was a 19-year-old cookery student at the time. She was tasked with getting the sauce just right, which involved an entire month of cooking chickens and playing with the balance of spices until they were perfect.

Her efforts paid off, because Coronation Chicken remains a beloved dish in Britain. It can be served with a salad or as a sandwich filling, both of which options are delicious.

The recipe has evolved over the years. For instance, it originally called for curry powder because Indian curry spices were impossible to get hold of at the time, so British spice merchants came up with a flavor combination that would approximate the taste people had come to love.

Modern versions prefer to include a proper curry paste. In most current versions, the dried apricots have also been replaced with raisins.

But in the spirit of honoring history, and celebrating the only monarch most Brits have ever known, I thought you might be interested to try the original. Do feel free to make adjustments if you prefer, such as to add crème fraiche or flaked almonds, or add your own choice of dried fruit.

Poach two chickens with a carrot, a pinch of salt, three or four peppercorns and a bouquet garni in water splashed with red wine for around 40 minutes. Once tender, leave to cool in the liquid, then remove the bones and shred into bitesize pieces.

Make the sauce by frying 2 oz of chopped yellow onion in a tablespoon of oil for three or four minutes. Add two teaspoons of curry powder (available locally in supermarkets or online, but you can make your own easy version by mixing together a tablespoon of ground coriander, 1.5 teaspoons of ground cumin, a teaspoon of turmeric and half a teaspoon each of black pepper, chili powder and ginger.)

Fry for two more minutes, then add a teaspoon of tomato paste, a glass of red wine, three quarters of a wine glass of water and a bay leaf. Bring to the boil, then add two slices of lemon, a squeeze of lemon juice, a dash of salt and pepper and a pinch of salt.

Simmer for ten minutes uncovered, then strain and cool. Add three quarters of a pint of mayonnaise and a tablespoon of apricot jam to the liquid, then season and add a little more lemon juice if you think it necessary.

Stir in three tablespoons of whipped cream, then use your finished sauce to coat the chicken. Stir well, add a little more cream if needed, then serve your Coronation Salad cold with a leafy green salad or in a sandwich.

The original recipe says the sauce is “admirable” to serve with iced lobster, if you’re not a fan of chicken, but I can’t say I’ve ever tried that version.

So there you have it, a dish quite literally fit for a queen. While I understand the Platinum Jubilee is not high on your list of needed celebrations, is there ever a bad time for delicious food?

I’m glad you agree, because the contest to invent a new sweet dish to mark the jubilee is currently underway. It will be chosen from nationwide entries by a panel overseen by Fortnum & Mason chefs, then announced during a live final in March.

However they whittle down the choices, I’m willing to bet it will be delicious. I’ll let you get to making your main course – watch this space for dessert.