Coronation Chicken

dapted from Constance Spry and Rosemary Hume's famous recipe for Coronation Chicken, as served to the gathered Heads of Commonwealth to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Coronation. This version is lighter on the mayonnaise, using thick yoghurt to give a summery tang. If you poach the chicken on the day of serving so that you don't have to refrigerate it, it will be beautifully tender. Serve with a cous cous salad, or more traditionally, with a cold rice salad.

Feeds 8

• 2 organic free range roasting chickens, around 1.3 kg each
• water to cover
• 200 ml white wine
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and peppercorns


• Sauce:
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion or banana shallot, finely diced
• 1 dsp curry powder
• 1 dsp tomato puree
• 180 ml white wine
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 200 g mayonnaise
• 200 g thick natural Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp fresh apricot or mango puree or apricot conserve
• 100 ml whipping cream

1. Clean and dry the chickens and place in a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil, skimming. Add white wine, bay leaf, salt and peppercorns and simmer for 35 minutes. Drain the chickens and cool.
   
   
2. Heat the oil in a fry pan and cook the onion gently for 3 minutes. Add the curry powder and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato puree, wine, salt, pepper, sugar, and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, then simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Strain and cool.
   
   
3. Combine the mayonnaise, yoghurt and apricot puree or conserve in a bowl. Beat in around 100ml of the cooled liquid a spoonful at a time. Beat the cream until thickened, and gently fold through the sauce.
   
   
4. Joint the chicken and remove the meat (white and brown). Shred or slice the meat and toss it lightly in some of the sauce.
   
   
5. Arrange the tossed meat on a platter and pour a little remaining sauce over the top to coat. Cover until serving.