Normally bright yellow, coronation chicken is traditionally flavoured with curry powder and fresh or dried herbs and spices, but may also include additional ingredients such as flaked almonds, raisins, and crème fraîche.
The original dish differs from modern versions in that it calls for apricot puree rather than raisins. The chicken is first poached in diluted, seasoned white wine, before being coated in a mayonnaise-based cream of curry sauce and arranged atop a rice salad.[5]
History
Constance Spry, an English food writer and flower arranger, and Rosemary Hume,[6] a chef, both principals of the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London, are credited with the invention of coronation chicken.[7][8] Preparing the food for the banquet of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, Hume[9] is credited with the recipe of cold chicken, curry cream sauce and dressing that became known as coronation chicken.[10]
^Tucker, Hugh. "Coronation chicken: The story behind the royal dish". bbc.com. Retrieved 3 May 2023. According to Freya Perryman, communications officer from Le Cordon Bleu London, 'The recipe was created by Rosemary Hume and Constance Spry, with the main credit going to Hume, and we understand that students helped to fine-tune.'