Coronation chicken rice with lime and coriander cream

Coronation chicken rice. Photograph: Harry Weir Photography
Serves: 45
Course: Main

Ingredients

  • 50g butter
  • 1 large red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
  • 2 chicken breasts (350g) diced
  • 2 tbs curry powder
  • 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 100g dried apricots, sliced
  • 1 chilli sliced in half lengthways and deseeded
  • 300g basmati rice, rinsed
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 800mls chicken stock
  • Pinch of sugar
  • For the lime and coriander cream:
  • I bunch of coriander (35g) roughly chopped including stalks
  • 250mls cream
  • Juice of 2 limes and zest of 1
  • Pinch of salt
  • Some shop bought crispy onions to serve (optional)

1 Set the oven to 185 degrees.

2 Melt the butter in an ovenproof pot and add the onion and garlic. Cook gently for five minutes then add the chicken and curry powder. Cook for a further five minutes until the onions soften and the chicken colours a little.

3 Add the chickpeas, apricots, chilli, rice and seasoning, then stir together.

4 Add the stock and the sugar, bring to a simmer, cover and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.

5 Remove from the oven, fork through the rice then drape a clean tea towel over the pot and replace the lid.

6 To make the lime and coriander cream, pulse all the ingredients together, then chill. Be careful, if you blend too much it will overthicken.

7 Serve the rice in warm bowls with the cream drizzled over the top along with a scattering of crispy onions.

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn

Paul Flynn is a chef, restaurateur and contributor to The Irish Times. He and his wife, Máire, run the Tannery restaurant and cookery school in Dungarvan, Co Waterford