This is great for when you’re asked to bring a dish to a garden or other party. It feeds lots of people and is easy to transport and serve cold when you get there. Coronation Chicken might seem a bit old fashioned but watch it disappear – a favourite of adults and kids alike and well worth a bit of effort earlier in the day. Only perfectly ripe mangoes will do!
Wine Suggestion: There are a few options to match with this dish but our favourites are a good, but fruity Beaujolais, slightly chilled; Domaine Rochette’s Brouilly comes to mind. Alternately we also like a good, youthful Viognier and we’ve been enjoying Jean-Michel Gerin’s le Champine Viognier from the Northern Rhone where the exuberant fruit is balanced with texture and a fresh joie-de-vivre.
Coronation Chicken with Mango & Roasted Cashews – serves 8-10
- 1.3kg chicken breasts
- 1.2 litres chicken stock (home-made preferably for this dish)
- 1 ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into 1cm pieces
- 175g celery, chopped
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 125ml natural yoghurt
- 125ml mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tsp curry powder
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 150g roasted cashew nuts
- 2 tbsp coriander, chopped
Bring the chicken stock to the boil in a large saucepan. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and simmer gently in the hot stock for 5-7 minutes, depending on how big they are. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and allow the chicken to cool in the liquid. When cooled, remove with a slotted spoon and cut the chicken into small dice.
Mix the chicken with the lemon juice in a large bowl and season well with salt and pepper. Add the mango, celery and scallions.
Whisk the yoghurt and mayonnaise together.
Toast the cumin seeds in a hot frying pan for a few seconds, add the curry powder and cook for another couple of seconds. Grind, cool and add to the yoghurt and mayonnaise. Pour the sauce over the other ingredients and toss gently. Taste and season if necessary.
Just before serving, add the roasted cashew nuts, scatter with coriander and serve.
(Original recipe from Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cookery Course, Kyle Cathie Limited, 2001.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 