The iconic British Coronation Chicken sandwich has a noble history. Originally served as the “Poulet Reine Elizabeth” now widely known as Coronation Chicken was created by Le Cordon Bleu London to be served at the Coronation Luncheon in 1953. This is the extraordinary story of the recipe and of one of the most significant moments of Le Cordon Bleu London.
The ingredients used were remarkable for their time, with many of them only just becoming available, whilst the majority of the country was still under the restrictions of post-war rationing. The original recipe consisted of young roasting chickens, water and a little wine to cover carrots, a bouquet garni, salt, peppercorns and cream of curry sauce. This is their updated version.
The Cordon Bleu's Updated Coronation Chicken Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1 large chicken breast cooked
- 2 medium spring onions finely sliced
- .5 tsp. mild curry powder
- .5 tsp. ground turmeric
- .25 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp. crème fraîche
- 1 tsp. tomato ketchup
- 1 tbsp. apricot jam sieved jam
- 1 large lime juiced
- 1 bunch coriander leaves
- 2 large brioche buns
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
Garnish
- 2 tbsp. coconut chips
- 2 tbsp mangetout (sugar peas)
- 2 tbsp. coconut chips
Instructions
- Finely dice the chicken breast and finely slice the spring onions, then place in a large bowl.
- Sprinkle over the curry powder and ground turmeric. Add the mayonnaise, crème fraîche, tomato ketchup, curry powder, apricot jam and lime juice and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- Roughly chop the coriander leaves. Add to the chicken mixture and stir to coat in the sauce.
Garnish
- Bring the reserved cooking water to a boil. Cook the butternut squash brunoise until soft, 3 - 5 minutes. Drain and keep warm.
- Remove the tops and tails from the snow peas and thinly slice on an angle.
- Slice the brioche buns lengthwise and set the tops aside. Scoop out the inside, being careful not to break the bun crust.
- Fill the scooped hole with the chicken mixture and top with a little snap peas, coconut chips and coriander leaves. Put the top bun on top and serve immediately.