Coronation chicken with kitchiri rice salad

This creamy, fruity and lightly spiced dish was invented for the Coronation banquet of Elizabeth II. Here’s a modern twist on the classic using fresh mango and coriander leaves.

Serves: 6 – 8

INGREDIENTS

2kg British free-range whole chicken

2 leeks, cleaned and sliced

2 carrots, thickly sliced

2 celery sticks, sliced

A few black peppercorns

Bouquet garni (tie some thyme sprigs, bay leaves and parsley stalks in string)

1 tbsp salt

For the kitchiri rice salad

150g brown basmati rice

100g brown lentils

125g frozen petits pois

150g carrots, coarsely grated

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp black mustard seeds

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ small cucumber, halved, deseeded and finely diced

25g toasted flaked almonds

For the dressing

2 tbsp sunflower oil

50g shallots, finely chopped

5cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated

1½ tbsp curry powder

1 tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp tomato purée

3 tbsp mango chutney

¼ tsp fine sea salt

1 small, ripe but firm mango

150g mayonnaise

150g Greek yogurt

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice

4 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Tabasco, to taste

Salad leaves to serve

METHOD

Put the chicken into a large pan with the leeks, carrots, celery, peppercorns, bouquet garni and salt. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil, skimming off any scum as it rises to the surface. Lower the heat and leave to simmer for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the chicken to cool in the liquid.

While the chicken is simmering, put the rice for the kitchiri salad into a medium pan with a lid and pour over 300ml boiling water. Bring to the boil, cover with the lid, reduce the heat to low and cook for 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave undisturbed for 5 minutes. Drain off any excess water if necessary, tip into a bowl and leave to cool.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, lift it out of the stock onto a board (save the stock) and remove the meat, discarding the skin and bones. Slice or tear the meat into bite-size pieces. Strain the stock into a bowl.

Meanwhile, cook the lentils in boiling water for 15 minutes or until just tender. Drain, leave to cool, then add to the cooled brown rice. Cover the frozen petits pois in hot water, leave to thaw, then drain and place in a bowl lined with kitchen paper and leave to dry.

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Heat the oil in a medium pan with a lid. Add the shallots and ginger, cover and cook over a low heat for 7-10 minutes until soft but not browned. Add the curry powder, ground cumin and turmeric and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the tomato purée, mango chutney, 250ml of the chicken stock and the sea salt. Simmer gently, stirring now and then, until reduced to a thick sauce. Transfer to a food processor and whizz until smooth. Leave to go cold.

To finish the coronation chicken, peel the mango and cut away the flesh from either side of the flat stone. Cut the flesh into small chunks. Put the mayonnaise and yogurt into a large mixing bowl and stir in the cold curry sauce, lime or lemon juice, coriander, Tabasco and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chicken and mango; taste and add more lime juice, salt or pepper to taste.

To finish the salad, put the grated carrot into a bowl. Heat the olive oil in a small pan until really hot, add the cumin and black mustard seeds, then leave them to sizzle for a few seconds until golden brown. Pour onto the carrots, add the lemon juice and some salt and stir together well.

Mix the grated carrot mixture into the rice and lentils with the peas, diced cucumber and seasoning to taste. Serve the coronation chicken on a serving platter sprinkled with the flaked almonds with the kitchiri rice salad and leaves on the side.

Recipe credit: Delicious Magazine

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