Culture

Coronation Chicken Sandwich

Coronation Chicken Sandwich
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The dish was created for and served at the 1953 coronation of the baby Prince George's great-grandmother and current British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. Since it's become a classic favorite in Britain and has made the leap across the pond. My version adds diced apples and golden raisins to the traditional apricot as the fruit component, replaces the original mayonnaise "lightened by cream" with yogurt and crème fraîche and switches out red wine in favor of white.      But it remains true to the dish’s spirit as a curried chicken salad with fruit.  At Jones Wood Foundry, Coronation Chicken is on the menu as a sandwich, embraced by a toasted baguette lined with butter lettuce and topped with slivered almonds.
Servings
6
servings
Ingredients
  • 1 kitchen spoon yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons madras curry powder
  • 1 pound chicken thighs, boned and skinned
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/2 medium-sized onion, diced
  • 1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 3 1/2 tablespoon madras curry powder
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1/2 pound yogurt
  • 1 kitchen spoon crème fraîche
  • 1/4 cup diced apricots
  • 1/4 cup golden raisins
  • 2 apples, diced
  • tabasco sauce, to taste (optional)
  • 1 baguette, halved lengthwise and split
  • 4-6 leaves bibb lettuce
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
Directions
  1. Mix the yogurt and curry powder in a bowl and add the chicken thighs, ensuring each piece is coated in yogurt. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but ideally overnight.
  2. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
  3. Preheat a gas grill or cast-iron grill pan on high heat. Sear the chicken quickly, just enough to create grill marks.
  4. Meanwhile, in a small pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and sauté until colored, then add the onion and garlic and sweat until translucent. Add the tomato paste, remaining curry powder, and white wine. Reduce by ½.
  5. Transfer the reduced liquid to a baking sheet and add the seared chicken. Cover with foil and bake until the juices run clear when the chicken is pricked with tip of a knife, for 1-1 ½ hours.
  6. Once the chicken is cooked, separate from the sauce and let cool. Once cool, add the yogurt and crème fraîche. Then, add the apricots, raisins, and apples.
  7. Adjust the seasoning. If you would like a little more heat, add a little Tabasco sauce, then mix in the braised chicken thigh. Transfer to a sealed plastic container and refrigerate overnight. The next day, serve on a split baguette with Bibb lettuce and topped with slivered almonds.
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