Coronation chicken salad

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

250-300g cooked chicken
1 crispy apple
20-30g raisins or sultanas
1/2 iceberg lettuce, washed
200-250g plain yogurt
100-120ml mayonnaise
1 tbsp curry powder
Tomato and/or cucumber slices to garnish

Method:

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl. Core and chop the apple (no need to peel). Add to the chicken, along with the raisins.

Mix the yogurt, mayonnaise and curry powder, then stir into the chicken mixture to combine, ensuring the chicken is coated.

Tear the lettuce into smaller pieces and use to form a bed on a serving dish. Pile the chicken mixture on top. 

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This is a modern adaptation of a recipe that was originally created for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth I in 1953. That version used a mixture of herbs and spices, including turmeric, cumin and ginger, to give a yellower appearance and a mild curry flavour. It also used cream. 

It was, I assume a way to show that the country was moving beyond rationing but without huge extravagance. It also demonstrates that the myth of 'bland food' in the UK has not just been demolished in the past few decades; indeed, spices were being used in British food well before the 20th century. Apparently curry recipes were being printed as long ago as 1747. 

Modern versions of coronation chicken use yogurt (typically greek-style set yogurt, although it works very well with vegan plain yogurt, which is what I use), and the convenience of curry powder, which mixes several spices.  I usually make it with leftover roast chicken, and it can be made with leftover turkey too. But it would work well with a baked or air-fried large chicken breast.

As for the serving size; if you're having this with just one other dish, such as the 1953 recommendation of rice, peas and pimentos, it would probably feed two people, depending on appetite. However, I usually serve it with at least three other salads, and this amount lasts us for two main meals.

Like most salads, the amounts can be adjusted to suit tastes. In the picture above, I hadn't used any extra garnish. In one I made recently, I garnished with cucumber chunks, but had forgotten to buy lettuce, so it didn't have that base.  I didn't measure either the yogurt or the mayonnaise. People who dislike mayonnaise could try this with just the spiced yogurt. 

I'm not sure why an apple is a part of a modern coronation chicken recipe; there were no apples in the original, although dried apricots were sometimes used instead of raisins, and nowadays some recipes use apricot purée.