Thursday, February 20, 2020

Coronation Chicken on Jacket Potatoes #recipe @LucyBurdette


LUCY BURDETTE:  This was one of the first lunches that we had on our Scottish vacation. I saw “coronation chicken“ on the menu and had to know what it was. It turns out to be curried chicken, but not just any curried chicken. The recipe was developed for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Jacket potatoes are baked potatoes served with the crispy skin left on.

​To make this at home,​  I looked at recipes from Tom Aiken, the New York Times, and the petite cook. E​ach​ recipe that I looked at was different, and each proclaimed itself to be better than ordinary curried chicken salad. There is no slapping of curry​ powder​ into mayonnaise and proclaiming it done ​(which I have been guilty of myself.)​ ​The dish can be served either as a sandwich, (the real English versions insist​ this​ should be soft white bread), ​as a ​salad, or ​as the topping ​on a baked potato.  ​One recipe called for​ ​M​ajor Grey's chutney​, another for chopped dried apricots, others for chopped fresh mango.​ I chose ​good​ apricot jam​ and mango for this version. You could substitute whole yogurt or sour cream for the whipped cream if this seems too rich.



Ingredients

2-3 cups fresh roasted chicken*
1 tablespoon butter
1 to 2 teaspoon curry powder
​1 small red onion, diced​
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 Cup water or chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
2 tablespoons apricot jam
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup whipped cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Cayenne to taste
Fresh diced mango
Slivered almonds or scallions or both

​2 baked potatoes​

 I roasted a large chicken the night before I made this salad, but you could use a roast chicken from the deli counter if you need to, or bake chicken breasts and shred them.​ While you're preparing the sauce, put the potatoes in the oven at 350 for an hour to hour and a half until​ soft inside and crispy outside.

Melt the butter, stir in the curry​ and chopped onion​ and cook over medium heat​ for a couple minutes,​ being careful not to burn. And the tomato paste, water, and lemon juice​.​ ​Simmer​ the mixture until reduced by about half​, and quite thick​.  Mix in the apricot jam  and a sprinkle of cayenne and set this aside to cool. 




In another bowl combine the mayonnaise with the whipped cream. Stir in the curry mixture when it ​has​ cool​ed​ off​. Fold in​ the chicken, fold​ in​ the mango,​ along with​ almonds or scallions as you prefer​.​   


 Refrigerate the chicken mixture until you’re ready to serve. ​Cut the potatoes open and squeeze them to allow space for the chicken to be piled on top. Serve with a salad and green vegetable.  I don’t know if Queen Elizabeth would have been happy with this version, but we ​found it rich and delicious​!

*This amount of sauce could easily have covered 3 cups of shredded chicken.


Lucy Burdette writes the Key West food critic mystery series, featuring fiesty food critic Hayley Snow. Number 9, A DEADLY FEAST, is in stores and online everywhere. THE KEY LIME CRIME will be published next summer. 


"Hayley and Nathan make an appealing pair, and the food descriptions and Key West atmosphere are equally enticing—a sure bet to draw readers of foodie mysteries."

—Booklist

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9 comments:

  1. I may just have to try this recipe! Sounds tasty!

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  2. This does sound mighty fine.
    Having just read Rhys Bowen's Above The Bay of Angels I can really appreciate the idea of cooking for a queen.
    "1/2 cup whipped cream" Is that 1/2 cup of whipping cream, whipped or a bunch of cream whipped and then 1/2 cup taken out to use? Which come first--the measuring or the whipping?

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  3. I have had trouble for several days with the Facebook share link. It doesn't work.
    Is anyone else having that problem?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unfortunately we are all having trouble! I copy and then paste to facebook. And we thank you for asking and for sharing!

      Delete
  4. I am reminded of the time I was clearing out the kitchen after my parents separated. There was a small canister of "curry powder" that mum had received as a shower gift. Unopened. My parents were married in 1959, the clearing out happened in 1992.

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  5. Having had a bad experience with curry, I was hesitant to continue. However, the photo and the recipe both sound appealing, especially the whipped cream!

    ReplyDelete