Lilly Higgins: Coronation Chicken

My maternal grandmother was a nurse and an amazing woman. She was an ambulance driver in the Queen Alexandra nursing corps during the second World War based in Burma, India and Sri Lanka.

When she came back to Ireland and had her own children in the 1950s she made them curries based on those she had eaten abroad and always added cubed apple or sultanas for a fruity sweetness. They were usually slow- cooked lamb curries, using neck of lamb and kidneys, dark and highly spiced. She would leave the spice-rubbed meat in a large pudding bowl with a plate on top in the dark cool pantry for two or three days to marinade and let the flavours develop.

I grew up with my mother doing the same but she swirled some yogurt or coconut milk through the finished dish to temper the spicy heat. It’s one of those dishes that has no recipe, I wish I had the exact details with a list of ingredients and technique but it was no doubt scribbled on an envelope then committed to memory long ago.

I usually make a fruity curry by pureeing a perfectly ripe mango in a blender or nutribullet, then adding it to toasted spices and sautéed onions as my curry base. I also add coconut milk for a creamy sweetness. It’s the perfect curry to make with leftover roast chicken. This Coronation Chicken is the summer version of my mango curry and a gorgeous light lunch or dinner for a warm evening. Instead of the usual apricots, I’ve used pureed mango. I’ve scattered plump pomegranate arils over the top in place of the more traditional sultanas. It’s a lovely twist on the classic dish and a great way to use leftover chicken.

Coronation Chicken has been enjoying a bit of a revival. It's loved for it's nostalgic charm but it is quite delicious too. The Hemsley sisters have a version using chicken thighs and served in cos lettuce "boats" and Domini Kemp has a nice recipe in her fantastic new book, The Ketogenic Kitchen. Domini's version uses red wine and mango too.

Constance Spry, an English food writer, and Rosemary Hume, a cordon bleu chef, are credited with inventing Coronation Chicken and served it at the banquet for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Usually the chicken is poached specifically for this dish, no leftovers involved there. The original recipe calls for red wine and whipped cream to be used but modern day versions usually just involve curry paste and mayonnaise. I think that's fine for a sandwich filling but it's nice to put in a little more effort when it comes to dinner.

You can use mayonnaise here or half mayonnaise and half yogurt. This is delicious with cos leaves, use them to scoop up the chicken or spoon it onto batons of crunchy celery. For a heartier lunch you can serve this with rice or pearl couscous. Stuff warm pitta breads with some salad leaves and a generous amount of the chicken mixture for perfect picnic fare.

Coronation Chicken: Serves 4

Ingredients
1 mango, ripe
1 onion, finely diced
1 heaped tsp garam masala
1 tbsp tomato puree
200ml natural yogurt
Juice of ½ lemon
15g coriander or flat leaf parsley, fined chopped
350g leftover cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
Seeds of ½ pomegranate
1 tsp nigella seeds
2 heads of cos lettuce, separated
1 head of celery, cut into sticks

Method

Peel the mango. Cut half into small dice and set aside for folding through the chicken. Puree the remaining half with a splash of water till smooth.

Sauté the onion in a little olive oil till soft. Add the curry spices and stir to toast them briefly. Add the tomato puree and the pureed mango. Stir till smooth then remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Once the sauce is cooled stir in the yogurt and lemon juice to create a smooth sauce. Fold in the chopped coriander, chicken and diced mango.

Once ready to serve lay the cos leaves and celery out on a large platter and spoon the chicken onto the platter or into a separate bowl. Scatter with the nigella seeds and pomegranate arils.

Serve immediately.