The coronation chicken, invented for lunch at the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, has existed and developed in British cuisine for the past 70 years.
According to the New York Times, no matter how popular the coronation quiche for King Charles III ‘s coronation is, it can hardly eclipse the most famous coronation dish – coronation chicken. (coronation chicken) .
Crowned chicken dish. (Photo: New York Times).
In 1953, the British Labor minister asked the culinary school Le Cordon Bleu London to serve lunch at the Westminster School to 350 foreign representatives invited to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II . Le Cordon Bleu London is run by renowned florist Constance Spry and chef Rosemary Hume.
Because students serve as servers, and the kitchen is too small to cook hot food except for soup and coffee, the menu is simplified but still formal enough for this historic British event, according to the BBC.
That’s when the crowned chicken dish – also known on the menu as Poulet Reine Elizabeth – was born. This is a cold dish, when the chef boils the chicken in water and wine, then coats it with a creamy sauce with mayonnaise, whipped cream, apricot and tomato puree, curry powder, lemon, pepper and red wine. The dish comes with a salad with rice, green beans, and hot peppers.
The coronation chicken dish named Poulet Reine Elizabeth on the reception menu after the coronation in 1953. (Photo: Le Cordon Bleu London).
According to Freya Perryman, communications officer for Le Cordon Bleu London, Rosemary Hume and Constance Spry created this recipe, “with the main credit going to Mrs. Hume, while the students helped adjust the flavors accordingly”.
According to the BBC, the exact inspiration for this dish is still unknown. It has been suggested that the dish was invented for King George V’s silver anniversary in 1935, with the name Jubilee chicken. However, little evidence supports this theory.
At the time coronation chicken was created, this was a luxury dish. The recipe was first shared in the Constance Spry Cookery Book published in 1956, but it was not until the 1970s and 1980s that crowned chicken became a familiar dish in buffets and dinner parties.
Over the years, the crowned chicken recipe became familiar to British households. Many famous chefs of this country also create their own recipes. Among them is Heston Blumenthal, who remade the dish – adding spices, sultanas and nigella seeds – for Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee party in 2012.
70 years after its birth, crowned chickens are still popular throughout the UK, often found in sandwich form in the biggest supermarkets and small cafes.