The Queen and Her Chicken Salad and Other Stories

As I was pondering what to have for Sunday dinner, I found a recipe on-line for Coronation Chicken Salad and thought that was very timely and we should give it a try.  

I did some digging to find the original recipe used at the coronation in 1952 and this one published by The Telegraph seems to be it. I did modify the recipe a bit as I couldn't find any crème fraîche and I decided to simplify things by using skinless boneless chicken breasts. The chicken salad was delicious and was definitely something I would repeat.

CORONATION CHICKEN SALAD (serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts

1 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp curry powder

2 tbsp mango chutney

1/3 cup raisins (I would even add more next time)

1/3 cup finely chopped dried apricots (I would add more of these as well)

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (I think sour cream or natural yogurt would work as well)

1/3 cup mayonnaise

Method:

1.  Cook the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces.

2.  Add the raisins and chopped apricots to the cooked chicken and set aside to cool.

3.  Mix the other ingredients together to make the dressing and combine with the chicken and dried fruit.

4.  Serve on a bed of lettuce or watercress.  I served the chicken salad with sliced cucumbers and chopped mango.

The table was set with red, white, and blue for the Union Jack

with a bountiful bouquet of roses in a Crown Mason jar (get it - crown!!!  So witty, I know).

For dessert we had fruit with Devon Custard (for some unknown reason I had a can of it in the pantry).

Last year's post about Prince William's Chocolate Biscuit Cake has been a very popular post - second overall on my blog. Yes sir, people have been Googling that recipe all year long. Let's see how Coronation Chicken Salad does against Chocolate Biscuit Cake - a face-off!

************************

Diamond Jubilee souvenirs from a shop in Edinburgh (photo taken by my husband)

At the time of the royal wedding I posted about my three close encounters with the British royal family - you can read about when Queen Elizabeth waved at me during the Silver Jubilee celebration.  So sweet of her!  Well not long after I published that post I remembered another encounter with the British royal family, but it was too late to write about it last year so I decided to save it for this year.  
Story #4About ten years ago my husband was working on a contract in Bristol for six months.  We celebrated Christmas in the UK that year as we all flew over to join him.  It was an amazing and memorable trip. The company Jonathan was working for hired a car to take us from London to Bristol and the driver of the car used to be the butler for Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew.  He was exactly like a butler should be - VERY proper, VERY polite, VERY solicitous, and didn't dish any dirt on the royals.  He said Sarah was kind and nice to work for.  

************************
And finally, I had to add this transcript from a royal visit to Winnipeg, Canada in 1939 that is unbelievably funny. I heard the original on CBC radio many years ago and was able to find a transcription on-line for this post.  In 1939 the present Queen's father and mother came to Canada and were greeted by our Prime Minister Mackenzie King and Winnipeg's mayor John Queen and his wife.  I think they made the King and Queen visit Winnipeg just to see the reporter sweat. 

Royal Visit, 1939

Here comes the Royal Family now. The automobile has now stopped....
Oh, there's the King -- he's stepping out, followed by her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, nattily attired in a silver coat.
Mr. King is now shaking hands with the King and introducing Mr. Queen to the King and Queen and then Mrs. Queen to the Queen and King.
They are now proceeding up the steps to the well-decorated City Hall, the King and Mr. King together with the Queen being escorted by Mrs. Queen. The King has now stopped and said something to Mrs. Queen and goes to Mrs. Queen and the Queen and Mr. King and the Queen laughed jovially. The King leaves Mr. King and goes to Mrs. Queen, and the Queen and Mr. King follow behind....

- From CBC Radio report of the 1939 visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth to Winnipeg, where they were greeted by Prime Minister Mackenzie King and Winnipeg Mayor John Queen and Mrs. Queen.

And on that note - I wish you all a happy Diamond Jubilee. I hope you enjoy the Coronation Chicken Salad (there is still time to make it) and the celebration of this memorable event.

(The photo of the Union Jack bunting at the top of the post was taken by my husband)

Linked to Sunday Showcase at Under the Table and Dreaming,
WOW Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style