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Coronation Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches
Inspired by the recipe created for the Coronation luncheon for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, Coronation Chicken Salad is still served today as a filling for tea sandwiches (here) or on its own. Flavors of curry and spices are balanced with sweet golden raisins and a little sugar that makes this dish, well, fit for royalty.
YIELD: about 6 cups chicken salad
PREP TIME: 40 minutes
COOK TIME: 22-28 minutes
[NOTE: Coronation Chicken Salad is best made hours or a day in advance so that the flavors can marry and the mixture can chill thoroughly.]
2 pounds chicken breasts
extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup water, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided
3 tablespoons golden raisins
1/4 cup minced shallot
2 tablespoons curry powder
4 tablespoons mango chutney
1 tablespoon tomato paste
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (not fat-free)
softened salted butter
Thin-sliced, crustless white bread*
Preheat oven to 425. While oven is heating, pat chicken breasts dry, coat with olive oil and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet and let sit at room temperature while the oven heats.
Roast chicken breasts for 22-28 minutes, until they reach 165° internal temperature. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, place 1/2 cup water and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a heatproof bowl, add raisins, and let sit for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. Add the curry powder and stir constantly until fragrant. Quickly add 1/4 cup water. Stir in chutney, tomato paste, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Set aside to cool.
Slice cooled chicken crosswise into four pieces. Shred well, especially if using for tea sandwiches.
Place shredded chicken in a large bowl with the cooled curry mixture, raisins, mayonnaise, and Greek yogurt. Stir until chicken is completely coated. Chill for several hours or overnight.
To make tea sandwiches, spread softened butter onto two pieces of bread. (The butter will help keep the bread from tearing.) Spread 2 tablespoons chicken salad mixture on one slice. Top with the other, butter-side down. Use a serrated knife to slice lengthwise into three thin tea sandwiches.
*if using bread with the crust, make the sandwiches first, then remove the crust.
Coronation chicken salad can also be served on a bed of lettuce, in an avocado half, pastry shells, or any sandwich bread.
