King Charles' coronation chicken
Spiced dressing, pickled cucumber & crushed poppadoms
2 hrs 30 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 6
About the recipe
What better way to mark the coronation celebrations than with my take on this retro beauty? I like to turn this into a delicious salad, but you could absolutely serve everything together as an epic spread, or use the individual components to fill sandwiches – perfect for a street party, buffet or picnic.
Ingredients
5cm piece of ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1-2 fresh red chillies
1 bunch of fresh coriander (30g)
2 lemons
2 tablespoons curry paste
olive oil
1 x 1.8kg free-range whole chicken
4 red onions
1 x 435g tin of pineapple slices in juice
4 heaped tablespoons Greek yoghurt
2 tablespoons flaked almonds
1 pomegranate
4 little gem lettuce
1 cucumber
2 poppadoms
Top Tip
MAKE YOUR OWN MAYONNAISE
I’ve used yoghurt here, but coronation chicken is often made with mayonnaise. If you fancy swapping in homemade mayo, place 1 large free-range egg yolk in a large non-metallic bowl. Whisk for 2 minutes until thick and creamy, then very gradually add 250ml of vegetable oil, whisking continuously until all the oil is incorporated. Add little squeezes of lemon juice to loosen, if needed. Once the time’s up on the chicken, whisk in 2 to 3 tablespoons of the spiced juices from the tray, season with salt, pepper, then taste and add a little more lemon juice, if you like. Decant any leftovers into an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
GET AHEAD
If you’re taking this to a street party or buffet, you can easily roast up the chicken the day before to get ahead. Just remember to cool completely, cover and refrigerate it overnight. When you’re ready to serve, quickly crisp up the skin and scrunch over the poppadoms for maximum crunch.
VEGGIE LOVE
Swap the chicken for 1 extra-large head of cauliflower (1.2kg). Trim away just the tatty outer leaves and the end of the stalk from the cauliflower, then halve, slice into 3cm wedges and sit them on 2 roasting trays. Rub with the marinade, then toss the onion wedges into the tray with 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar and the pineapple slices. Halve and add 1 lemon, drizzle everything with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roast for 35 minutes, or until beautifully golden and tender. If you’re after a vegan feast, swap in a dairy-free yoghurt alternative, too.
Method
- Peel and finely grate the ginger and garlic, trim and finely slice the chillies and coriander stalks (putting the leaves aside for later), then place in a large roasting tray with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
- Squeeze in the juice of ½ a lemon, mix in the curry paste and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then sit the chicken in the tray and rub all over with the marinade, making sure you go inside the cavity for maximum flavour.
- Pierce 1 lemon all over, then microwave on high (800W) for 45 seconds and place inside the cavity. Peel the onions and slice into wedges, separating them into petals, then add to the roasting tray. Sit the chicken back on top breast-side down, then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for up to 12 hours, or follow the next step to cook straight away.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Drain the tinned pineapple (keeping its juice for later). Roast the chicken for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until golden and cooked through, carefully turning over with tongs and adding the pineapple to the tray halfway, then remove the chicken to a board to rest for 30 minutes.
- Once the time’s up on the chicken, remove the jammy lemon from the cavity, then squeeze half the juice into the tray of roasted onions and pineapple, discarding any pips. Stir in the yoghurt and a splash of the reserved pineapple juice. Shred and add the chicken, putting the skin aside for later and discarding any bones or wobbly bits, then toss together, scraping up any sticky bits from the bottom of the tray.
- Place the chicken skin in a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and cook for 3 minutes, or until the fat has rendered out and the skin is crisp, then roughly chop. Toast the flaked almonds in the hot pan.
- Halve the pomegranate and, holding one half cut-side down in your fingers, bash the back of it with a spoon so all the seeds tumble into the bowl. Click apart the lettuce leaves into cups. Scratch the outside of the cucumber with a fork to create grooves, then finely slice into rounds and toss with a pinch of salt and the juice of ½ a lemon.
- When you’re ready to serve, arrange the coronation chicken on a large platter. Crush and sprinkle over the poppadoms, scatter over the pomegranate seeds and reserved coriander leaves, crispy chicken skin and toasted almonds. Arrange the pickled cucumber on top and serve with the lettuce cups on the side.
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