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Queen Elizabeth II's Coronation Chicken

Kathleen Williams

For a printable version of this recipe, click here.

While we have enjoyed Coronation Chicken in many forms in the decades since this is the original recipe for Her Majesty’s Coronation Lunch from 1953. The recipe given below serves eight persons and is from The Constance Spry Cookery Book by Constance Spry & Rosemary Hume (1956).

Ingredients

For the Chicken

  • 4 large chicken breasts, or really any other parts that you’d like to use.

  • 6 cups (1 ½ L) Water and 2 cups (475ml) white wine mixed in a pot.

  • A chopped carrot

  • A bouquet garni - That is a little bundle of different herbs tied together. What the herbs are are really up to you, she’s not specific, but some traditional herbs are parsley, rosemary, thyme, sage or really any other savory herbs. I would stay away from mint, because it does tend to overwhelm.

  • 2 tablespoons Salt

  • 3-4 peppercorns

For the Sauce

  • 1 Tablespoons oil

  • 1/2 Cup (50g) chopped onion

  • 2 heaping teaspoons curry powder

  • 1 large teaspoon tomato puree

  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) red wine

  • 6 Tablespoons (90ml) water

  • A bay leaf

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

  • 2 slices lemon + a squeeze of lemon juice

  • 1/2 tablespoon or more of apricot puree

  • 1 3/4 cup (450 g) mayonnaise

  • 3 Tablespoons lightly whipped cream

Method

For the chicken

  1. Poach the chicken with the carrot, bouquet garni, salt, and peppercorns in water and a little wine, for about 40 minutes or until tender.

  2. Allow to cool in the liquid and remove the bones.

For the sauce

  1. Fry the onion in oil for 3-4 minutes, then add curry powder. Fry for a further 1–2 minutes.

  2. Add tomato purée, wine, water, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, add lemon slices and juice, a pinch of salt, pepper, and sugar. Simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes. Strain and cool.

  3. Add mayonnaise and apricot purée in stages. Season, and add more lemon juice if necessary. Mix in the whipped cream.

  4. Coat the chicken in the sauce and mix in a little extra cream and seasoning. Serve with salad or rice and a little extra sauce.

Recipe is taken from The Constance Spry Cookery Book