Constance Spry’s Coronation Chicken

Prep time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 55 minutes
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes (plus cooling)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the poaching

• 1 whole small chicken, about 1.2kg
• 1 small onion, halved
• 1 carrot, roughly chopped
• 1 celery stick, roughly chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 peppercorns
• A pinch of salt

For the sauce base

• 2 tinned apricot halves, chopped
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ small onion, finely chopped
• 2 tsp curry paste
• 2 tsp tomato purée
• 50ml red wine
• ½ bay leaf
• Juice of ¼ lemon

For the dressing

• 150ml mayonnaise, shop bought
• 50ml whipping cream
• Salt and black pepper

To serve

• Small bunch watercress
• Parsley, chopped
• Paprika

Method:

1. Poach the chicken: Place the chicken in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Add ½ the onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer for 50–55 minutes, until the juices run clear when tested at the thigh. Remove from the stock and leave until cool enough to handle. Discard the skin, strip the meat from the bones and cut into bite-sized pieces.
2. Apricot purée: Blitz the apricots in a blender until smooth.
3. Make the sauce base: Heat the oil in a small pan, add the finely chopped onion and cook gently for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the curry paste and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute. Add the red wine, bay leaf, apricot purée and lemon juice. Simmer uncovered for 7–8 minutes until well reduced. Strain and allow to cool completely.
4. Finish the dressing: Stir the cooled sauce into the mayonnaise along with the cream. Taste and adjust with salt, pepper and a little more lemon juice if needed.
5. Assemble: Fold the chicken pieces into the sauce until well coated. Pile onto a serving platter and garnish with watercress, chopped parsley and paprika