Sunday, March 14, 2021

Coronation Chicken from A Scone of Contention @LucyBurdette

 

LUCY BURDETTE:  Sometimes while I'm researching and writing a book, I eat a dish that has to be worked into the story. This is what happened with "coronation chicken"--I ordered it in a town called Peebles in Scotland, and I knew Hayley would eat it too. From A Scone of Contention:

Half an hour later, we met up with the others and hiked down a short hill that led into town. The most adorable shops mushroomed alongside the road as if we were in an Agatha Raisin mystery. We settled into a small coffee shop on the edge of Main Street. Within minutes, a waitress in a frilly white apron and red hair pulled into a ponytail bustled over to our table to welcome us.

“If you haven’t been here before, and from the looks of you, you haven’t, we’ve two local specials on our luncheon menu. Our coronation chicken consists of roasted chicken dressed in a sauce of mayonnaise and whipped cream with curry spices, mango chutney, and apricots mixed in. And our Scotch pie was a runner-up in the World Scotch Pie championship. Questions?” She held her order pad up with pen poised.  


On our Scottish vacation, I saw “coronation chicken“ on the menu and had to know what it was. It turns out to be curried chicken, but not just any curried chicken. The recipe was developed for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Jacket potatoes are baked potatoes served with the crispy skin left on.

​To make this at home,​  I looked at recipes from Tom Aiken, the New York Times, and the petite cook. E​ach​ recipe that I looked at was different, and each proclaimed itself to be better than ordinary curried chicken salad. There is no slapping of curry​ powder​ into mayonnaise and proclaiming it done ​(which I have been guilty of myself.)​ ​The dish can be served either as a sandwich, (the real English versions insist​ this​ should be soft white bread), ​as a ​salad, or ​as the topping ​on a baked potato.  ​One recipe called for​ ​M​ajor Grey's chutney​, another for chopped dried apricots, others for chopped fresh mango.​ I chose ​good​ apricot jam​ and mango for this version. You could substitute whole yogurt or sour cream for the whipped cream if this seems too rich.

Ingredients

2-3 cups fresh roasted chicken*
1 tablespoon butter
1 to 2 teaspoon curry powder
​1 small red onion, diced​
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 Cup water or chicken broth
1/3 cup white wine
2 tablespoons apricot jam
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup whipped cream
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Cayenne to taste
Fresh diced mango
Slivered almonds or scallions or both

​2 baked potatoes​

 I roasted a large chicken the night before I made this salad, but you could use a roast chicken from the deli counter if you need to, or bake chicken breasts and shred them.​ While you're preparing the sauce, put the potatoes in the oven at 350 for an hour to hour and a half until​ soft inside and crispy outside.

Melt the butter, stir in the curry​ and chopped onion​ and cook over medium heat​ for a couple minutes,​ being careful not to burn. And the tomato paste, water, and lemon juice​.​ ​Simmer​ the mixture until reduced by about half​, and quite thick​.  Mix in the apricot jam  and a sprinkle of cayenne and set this aside to cool. 

In another bowl combine the mayonnaise with the whipped cream. Stir in the curry mixture when it ​has​ cool​ed​ off​. Fold in​ the chicken, fold​ in​ the mango,​ along with​ almonds or scallions as you prefer​.​   



 Refrigerate the chicken mixture until you’re ready to serve. ​Cut the hot baked potatoes open and squeeze them to allow space for the chicken to be piled on top. Serve with a salad and green vegetable.  I don’t know if Queen Elizabeth would have been happy with this version, but we ​found it rich and delicious​!

*This amount of sauce could easily have covered 3 cups of shredded chicken.

Reds, have you ever read about a fictional meal and later cooked it for yourself?

44 comments:

  1. Oh, my, this sounds delicious, Lucy! I’m sure Hayley would love it . . . thanks for sharing it with us.
    I’m definitely a fan of books whose authors so graciously include wonderful recipes at the end of the story . . . then I get to make [and eat!] the yummy dishes I’ve read about . . . .

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  2. Lucy, the Coronation Chicken looks and sounds delicious. I'm a fan of fixing chicken different ways. Tomorrow I'm fixing a crockpot chicken spaghetti dish. My mouth is always watering when I read your books. What Hayley fixes and what she eats out in Key West make me hungry. I can't think of a dish I've fixed from reading about it in a book, but I know I've looked for similar foods on restaurant menus.

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    1. I was thinking of you yesterday Kathy, because we ate at Firefly. The waitress asked if we wanted to see the dessert menu--I said yes, Kathy will be disappointed if we don't at least consider the lime cake. But we were way too full!!!

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    2. Oh, I'm so sorry you were too full to try it, Lucy. I'm glad you thought of it and me, though.

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  3. ROBERTA (LUCY): That coronation chicken dish was a great find during your Scotland trip!
    Creating this dish to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's coronation was rather exotic for 1953 Scotland. Like you, I have made many easier variations of curried chicken salad but this recipe with the apricot/mango topping sounds great. But I will have to skip the jacket potato due to nightshade allergies.

    Since I LOVE culinary cozies, I have tried many recipes found in these books, but never made a full, multi-course meal. As mentioned before, I have the Goldy's Kitchen from Diane Mott Davidson and have tried over a dozen recipes. I also like using recipes from the Cozy Cookbook. It has over 100 recipes from cozy authors such as Leslie Budewitz, Daryl Wood Gerber, Laura Childs and JRW's JENN McKINLAY.


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    1. You sold me on DMD's cookbook Grace. Plus I love making her crustless quiche now, thanks to you!

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    2. ROBERTA: Yes, her crustless quiche was a new keeper recipe from her cookbook for me last spring, as well as the strawberry-rhubarb cobbler. Before that, I baked plenty of her cookies and sweet treats from recipes in the individual books.

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    3. Grace, I once made a plum cake from one of Diane Mott Davidson’s books. I love plums. It was good but not enough “ plummy” if I can use this term.

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    4. DANIELLE: Yes, I understand what you mean, that's too bad. It is a tough balance to put enough fruit (e.g. plums) in a recipe to be able to taste it, and not overwhelm the actual cake.

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  4. Yummy. I'm saving this one.

    I've been meaning to fix your Key Lime Pie since I read the recipe but haven't gotten to it yet. I'm usually too busy coming up with recipes for my own cozies!

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    1. I understand Edith--we're always working, even in the kitchen!

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  5. The coronation chicken salad sounds wonderful. I've not tried it over baked potatoes.

    I frequently try recipes from the backs of books, often with great success.

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    1. Glad to hear that Kait! In this little cafe, you had the option of having it on a sandwich or salad, but I wanted the whole experience.

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  6. I've seen other versions of this recipe, but not over baked potatoes. Will keep it in mind.

    I've tried many of the recipes in Diane Mott Davidson's books, some of which are family favorites.

    The Washington Post recently has run a series of one hour or less for dinner prep recipes which are excellent.

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  7. That sounds so good! True confession: I also just slammed the curry into the mayo. This recipe will change that for good, Roberta. And if I make it at home when we finally get to Scotland we will both know what it is when we are faced with menu choices.

    I've lost count of all the recipes I've tried from books, inspired by books, or shared by authors on blogs like this one or from Mystery Lovers Kitchen. And they have almost all turned out perfectly, too, which is impressive.

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    1. that is impressive Karen. Hope you get to Scotland very soon!

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    2. KAREN: I agree with you about the recipes at MLK. I have tried several of them, and they all were mighty tasty.

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    3. Grace, I also agree with you about Diane Mott Davidson's cookbook and recipes. I've made several, and they were all good.

      Thanks, Roberta!

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  8. When I read A SCONE OF CONTENTION (loved it by the way!) I was intrigued by the dish. After reading the recipe I can almost taste it and it is yummy! But I think I would like the chicken topping on the potato to be hot, not cold. Guess I better try both ways!

    I love reading the recipes in novels and I'm always disappointed if a particular dish is mentioned and then no recipe for that one.

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    1. Oh I feel the same way Judi, when a recipe is missing. However I recognize these are mysteries and not cookbooks LOL. Let us know if you make the topping hot!

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    2. Maybe my balking at putting recipes in my Burgundy village mysteries was a dumb move...

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  9. At our house, we are still swooning over the strawberry cake with strawberry frosting! What a treat;-)

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    1. I have to try this for my daughter's birthday--strawberry cake is her favorite.

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  10. I sometimes try a dish from a book and often modify with what I have on hands or what I like.
    This recipe looks good and I have most of the ingredients on hand, I could try it today.

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  11. I was introduced to culinary mysteries by Diane Mott Davidson, and her recipe for Scour's Brownies was the first "book recipe" I ever made, and they were really delicious. I can't believe I don't have her cookbook, but that can be remedied (and thanks for the recommendation, Grace!).

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    1. I don't think I've made those brownies--must fix that!!

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    2. CELIA: I haven't made Scout's Brownies either. I checked the Goldy's Kitchen cookbook, and the recipe is included so I may give it a try about seeing your endorsement.

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  12. Yum!!!! Thanks for sharing this, Lucy. I will pass it along to the Hub!

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  13. I have neither mango nor chutney, alas, but the coronation chicken recipe has inspired me to make toight's dinner chicken curry. Since today's temperatures are forecasted to be 37/11F (3/-12C) a hot and creamy dish will be more welcome anyway.

    I know I've made some of the recipes in your books, Lucy! My only regret is that they can't feature pictures as well. Seeing delicious food perks me right up, and I've been known to go all out on a new recipe because a photo in a magazine or on a website made me say, "Yum!"

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    1. Enjoy the curry Julia! Sometimes I get so excited by complex recipes, but then I'd rather have someone else make it and serve it to me:)

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  14. Absolutely yes! I will save recipes from books and try them out, or at least think about it! I still have your mac and lobster recipe, thinking I'll sub crawfish meat. All that yummy cheese. But then I look at my excess poundage and delay. I've tried recipes from Diane Mott Davidson, Cleo Coyle, and others. I need a personal chef to whip up these meals while I read.

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    1. Pat D you just reminded me that I have delicious recipes of Cleo Coyle , oatmeal cookies and muffins that I didn't cook for a long time.

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  15. Yes, I'm with Pat on the personal chef!!

    Lucy, your Coronation Chicken gave me a big dose of UK home-sickness! Coronation Chicken is ubiquitous in England and Scotland. One of my favorite cafes in Notting Hill (featured in many of my books but sadly gone now), Kitchen and Pantry, did a version on jacket potatoes. I have to try your recipe! I have a big jar of Peach/Mango/Passionfruit spread--wonder if that would work in place of the chutney?

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  16. This is reminding me of the Chiles en Nogada described in LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE - stuffed chiles with a walnut cream sauce sprinkled with pomegranate seeds. VERY complicated and no, I've never tried to make it. Still, I can dream...

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    1. Like Water for Chocolate made me hungry the whole time I was reading it.

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  17. Oh ladies, you bring back lots of good memories with these posts. Back in the day when I lived in San Diego, I was good friends with Phyllis Brown, who owned Grounds for Murder mystery bookstore. For years, I catered her author events, and always incorporated foods from the authors' books or locales whenever possible: Sue Grafton's egg sandwiches (made tea-sized), Diane Mott Davidson's scrumpy sweet treats, Faye Kellerman's kosher noshes. Several of the authors inscribed their books for me, complimenting the food at the party and wondering whether the big turnouts were for their books or my food! Those were fun times. I also enjoy visiting the restaurants in various cities when I travel where authors or their characters have enjoyed meals. When in Venice a few years ago, a couple of the rest stops during a walking tour of Inspector Brunetti's world, we had coffees, wines and tramezzini and felt right at home.

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