 oven. This will yield a moist and tender result. And the rest of the recipe involves some attention to dicing, slicing and incorporating the yummy ingredients. Take heart, it’s worth it! data-pin-do=)
Coronation Chicken Salad by Foodie’s Chef Laura Brennan
May 22, 2023
I realize that the coronation moment has passed, but this chicken salad is so delicious that it deserves to be in your spring/summer repertoire. Maybe you have a Bridal or Baby Shower on your horizon? It’s a curried chicken salad with a few added ‘bells and whistles.’ It starts with the technique of ‘oven poaching’ the chicken breasts; that is, cooking the seasoned chicken breasts, wrapped in parchment paper
in a low (325-degree F) oven. This will yield a moist and tender result. And the rest of the recipe involves some attention to dicing, slicing and incorporating the yummy ingredients. Take heart, it’s worth it!
- Prep: 25 mins
- Cook: 1 hrs
- Yields: about 38/40 ounces finished chicken salad or 9-10, 4-ounce servings.
Ingredients
chicken breasts
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, no tenderloins
parchment paper (aluminum foil is an OK substitute)
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
curried mayonnaise, yogurt & mango chutney sauce:
2 medium shallots. Peeled and very finely minced, to measure about 1⁄2 cup
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
3⁄4 cup mayonnaise, plus more as needed
1/3 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
2 1⁄2 tablespoons PATAK Mango Chutney (or to taste)
Lime zest & lime juice
‘mix-ins’:
10-12 pieces of dried apricots, finely diced to yield 1⁄2 cup
about 2 stalks of celery, finely diced, to yield 1⁄2 cup
1⁄2 to 3⁄4 green apple (depends on size of apple-they vary greatly), peeled, seeded & diced, to yield 1 cup
1⁄2 cup chopped toasted pistachios
Juice of 1⁄2 to 1 fresh lime
‘serve-with’ suggestions:
fresh croissants or brioche rolls, split in half
cleaned leaves of 1 head of Boston lettuce
fresh mango slices
extra chopped toasted pistachios
First, break-down and visualize the steps in this recipe:
1. You will begin by ‘oven-poaching’ the chicken breasts, letting them cool and then dicing them.
Be sure to save and incorporate any cooking juices.
2. When cool enough to handle, you will dice the chicken into 1⁄4-inch cubes.
3. Next, you will build the mayonnaise/yogurt sauce base. Mix the mayo, yogurt and mango chutney
together. Then sauté the shallots and add the curry powder. This is known as ‘blooming’ and will allow
the curry spices to fully develop. The cooled shallot-curry powder mix is then incorporated into the
mayonnaise, yogurt and mango chutney.
4. Finally, you will dice/chop the apricots, celery, green apple and pistachios to add to the diced chicken
and coat everything with the mayo-yogurt-chutney sauce.
Eh voila! And there you have it: Coronation Chicken Salad.
Directions
Pre- heat oven to 325-degrees F
Pat the chicken breasts dry and lay on a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan or baking dish. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with small pinches of kosher salt. Cover the seasoned breasts with a second piece of parchment paper. Roast in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes or until firm to
the touch and/or a thermometer registers 165-degrees F. Remove pan from oven and let cool. When cool enough to handle, pour off the accumulated juices into a large bowl.
Dice the chicken breasts:slice each breast into 1⁄2-inch lengthwise pieces. Slice each strip in half, that is, into 1⁄2-inch lengths. Then cut each piece across into 1⁄2-inch diced pieces. Add to the bowl with the accumulated cooking juices. Mix the diced chicken into the cooking juices until well combined. Don’t mix too vigorously, don’t mash the chicken pieces! Set aside.
Wash and dry the cutting board and knife.
In a small non-stick sauté pan heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil until warmed. Add the finely minced shallots along with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook and stir over medium low heat until translucent. Watch them closely as shallots can easily burn. Stir in the curry powder and cook on low heat for another minute or two, or until the curry powder ‘blooms’; that is, you will begin to smell it. Set aside to cool.
In a separate medium bowl, mix the mayonnaise and the Greek yogurt together. Add the mango chutney and mix to combine. Add the cooled shallot curry mixture. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with kosher salt & pepper. Add a bit of lime zest and a few drops of fresh lime juice. Stir well again to
combine. Set aside.
Cut the dried apricots into thin slivers and then cut the slivers across into very fine dice. Add all the diced apricot pieces to the bowl of diced chicken.
Cut the celery into thin strips and then cut the strips across into finely diced pieces. Measure 1⁄2 cup and add to the bowl of diced chicken.
Wash and dry the green apple. Cut into quarters. Peel each quarter. Slice the quarters into 1⁄4-inch slices. Slice the slices into 1⁄4-inch strips and finally dice those strips into 1⁄4-inch pieces. Measure 1 cup and add to the bowl of diced chicken.
Finally, chop the pistachios and add to the diced chicken bowl.
Use a long silicone spatula and mix all the ingredients together to evenly distribute.
To Finish:Add the curried-mayo-yogurt-mango chutney sauce to the bowl. Use the spatula to gently mix everything together. Add more mayonnaise or yogurt if needed. Add juice of 1⁄2 lime or more to taste. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper.
Set aside and refrigerate for an hour to allow the flavors to mingle and develop.
See ‘serve-with’ suggestions in the ingredients list.
NOTE:the Patak Mango Chutney may have pieces of ginger or cardamon seeds, it’s OK to leave them for
a bit of crunch.
