Coronation chicken fit for a queen

Most of us know coronation chicken as a sandwich filler. It was originally created for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, but now it is a tasty, easy to prepare everyday meal for peasants like me.

This version can be served with a salad and a hunk of freshly baked crusty bread, but by all means use the leftovers for lunch the next day. It will work a treat between two slices of Pat the Baker.

Coronation chicken (serves 4)

Ingredients
4 free range chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 bay leaf
2 small onions, chopped
1 pint of chicken stock
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp medium curry powder
juice of one lemon (zest optional)
3 tbsp mango chutney
1 tbsp tomato puree
200ml homemade mayonnaise
150ml mild natural yoghurt
seedless green/red grapes, halved
small handful of almond thins

Method
Bring the chicken stock to boil in a large saucepan with the bay leaf, then reduce the heat and poach the chicken for 5 or 6 minutes or until cooked. Take off the heat and set aside.

In a separate pan, heat the oil and fry the onions off for a few minutes. Stir in the curry powder and cook for about 30 seconds, and then stir in the lemon juice (lemon zest optional), mango chutney, tomato puree and 75ml of the chicken stock from the large saucepan. Simmer for ten minutes.

Remove the chicken from the stock and set aside. Combine the stock with the stock mixture and mix well with the mayonnaise and yoghurt. Throw in a handful of grapes and the almonds with the chicken at the end and enjoy hot or cold.

The wine match

I think this is a relatively easy curry-like dish to pair with wine because it is quite mild. I don’t think red would be the most natural match, but that’s not to say you shouldn’t pair the two.

For white wine, I think a New World Viognier would work a treat because it should have the body to cope with the creaminess of the sauce and a prominent flavour profile, often with a hint of spice, to handle the lovely flavours of the chicken. It could be argued the table grapes should be an ingredient avoided, but I think the ever so slight fruit sweetness of the Tabali Viognier will marry well with everything here.

Other good options include Sauvignon or Semillon from Bordeaux, or quite a full-bodied Chardonnay with the oak restrained, like Santa Alicia’s phenomenal Gran Reserva Chardonnay.