Angela Wood remember chicken recipe made for Queen Elizabeth

Angela Wood happily recalls the recipe for poached chicken in creamy curry sauce that she helped develop for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953 and has since become a British culinary classic.

Coronation Chicken, also known as “Poulet Reine Elizabeth,” has grown in popularity to the point where it can now be found in supermarket ready-to-eat meals, pre-packaged sandwiches, and the pages of many recipe books.

Angela said, “It’s not the same recipe though. It´s just mayonnaise with a bit of curry put in.”

Wood was just 19 years old when she was requested to improve a recipe established by the school’s director, Constance Spry, while a student at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Winkfield, near Windsor, west of London.

After the coronation on June 2, 1953, Spry was tasked with organizing a reception for international dignitaries.

Wood at her home in the picturesque market town of Kimbolton in eastern England said, “Constance Spry walked into the kitchen and said ‘this is something we´re thinking of doing for the coronation… we´ll keep testing it until we get it right,'”

“Knowing that it was going to be foreign dignitaries from all over the world, she decided that it had to be slightly spicy but not over spicy.”

Another restriction was that the food had to be cold because it had to be made ahead of time, according to Wood, who was dressed elegantly with short white hair, fuchsia-colored lips, and a matching sweater.

The ingredients had to be accessible in the United Kingdom, as restrictions made it difficult to import food, even for a royal supper, after WWII.

Wood set to work in the kitchen, while experimenting “two or three times a week, for possibly three or four weeks”.

“We were forever boiling chickens,”

They achieved the proper mix after repeatedly changing the ingredients.

Wood demonstrated the original recipe, which was found in an ancient edition of “The Constance Spry Cookery Book,” a British culinary classic.

The chicken should be poached in a bouquet garni sauce with chopped onions, curry powder, tomato puree, red wine, and lemon juice.

After cooling, the mixture is combined with mayonnaise, lightly whipped cream, and apricot puree.

She said, “It’s a strange mixture. And people do the first bit (curry powder and wine) and taste it and it’s just so horrible and strong,”

“I mean you can’t believe that it can be right.”

Wood is questioned why she didn´t use mango, as is used in many of today´s versions of the classic.

She said, “Well, we didn’t have mangoes…, we didn’t have Greek yoghurt,”

“nowadays people add all sorts of things”.

The dish is on the banquet menu, written in French, as “Poulet Reine Elizabeth” was served to the 350 foreign guests with a rice salad containing peas and herbs.

It was served with trout and a tomato and tarragon soup.

Dessert was strawberry galette, which was washed down with Moselle and Champagne wines.

Also Read

Due to ‘episodic mobility problems,’ Queen Elizabeth will miss the opening of Parliament.

Prince Elizabeth II will be absent from a critical event in very...