by Gordon Hamilton

Created on: January 28, 2013

The name ofcoronation chicken actually contains a significant clue to the dish’sorigins. It was for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 andthe magnificent banquet that would help to commemorate the occasionthat coronation chicken was invented. There is a theory that it wasadapted from an earlier dish, created for the silver jubilee of QueenElizabeth’s grandfather, King George V, called

jubileechicken. The dish is prepared with precooked and cooled chickenand is usually served cold.

In its original form,coronation chicken was a simpler dish than some current variations ofthe dish such as the Coronation Chicken recipe outlined by theTelegraph. This was largely due to the availability or otherwise ofcertain potential ingredients in post-war Britain, particularlyexotic herbs and spices. Whole chickens were firstly poached in waterthen left to cool in the liquid to keep them moist and tender. Themeat was then carefully picked from the bones in slightly smallerthan bite sized pieces and mixed with curry powder, tomato paste,mayo and a few other simple spices. It was served with a side orderof vegetable rice.

Coronation chicken today will often be a much grander affair,due both to the wider availability of particularly flavorsome spiceingredients and the development of cooking techniques in theintervening decades. Occasionally, coronation chicken is taken to such new levels as tomake it all but unrecognisable from its original form. The chickenmay even be fried or roasted rather than simply poached, while thebasic curry powder may be substituted either for a homemade currypowder or paste. Nuts, dried fruits such as raisins, lemon or limejuice, mangochutney and green onions or scallions are further popularadditions.

Coronation chicken as it is found in thesupermarket sandwiches of today or in lower end of the scale delis bythe tub is more likely to be closer to the original version as thismeans it is both quicker and less expensive to prepare. If you wantto try making it at home, it is an excellent way of using up leftoverroast chicken from dinner one night for lunch sandwiches thefollowing day, given that the most basic ingredients can already befound in many refrigerators or larders. Try adding some salad greensto one slice of bread before spooning on the coronation chicken,scattering over some freshly chopped cilantro and crowning it with asecond slice of bread, for a refreshingly different but simple mealfor your family.

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