Coronation Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches

By Bridget Edwards

Prep Time:

40m

Bake/Cook Time:

22m - 28m

Yield:

About 6 cups chicken salad

Plan for:

Chill mixture for several hours or overnight

Inspired by the recipe created for the Coronation luncheon for Queen Elizabeth II in 1953, Coronation Chicken Salad is still served today as a filling for tea sandwiches (as we've done here) or on its own. Flavors of curry and spices are balanced with sweet golden raisins and a little sugar that makes this dish, well, fit for royalty.

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Products Used

Extra Fine Granulated Pure Cane Sugar Bag

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken breasts
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup water, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar, divided
3 tablespoons golden raisins
1/4 cup minced shallot
2 tablespoons curry powder
4 tablespoons mango chutney
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 dried bay leaf
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Greek yogurt (not fat-free)
Softened salted butter
Thin sliced, crustless white bread

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. While oven is heating, pat chicken breasts dry, coat with olive oil and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Place on a foil-lined cookie sheet and let sit at room temperature while oven heats.
Roast chicken breasts for 22-28 minutes until they reach 165°F internal temperature. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, place 1/2 cup water and 1 teaspoon sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour into a heatproof bowl, add raisins, and let sit for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. Add curry powder and stir constantly until fragrant. Quickly add 1/4 cup water. Stir in chutney, tomato paste, lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Set aside to cool.
Slice cooled chicken crosswise into four pieces. Shred well, especially if using for tea sandwiches.
Place shredded chicken in a large bowl with cooled curry mixture, raisins, mayonnaise, and Greek yogurt. Stir until chicken is completely coated. Chill for several hours or overnight.
To make tea sandwiches, spread softened butter onto two pieces of bread. (Butter will help keep bread from tearing.) Spread 2 tablespoons chicken salad mixture on one slice. Top with other, butter-side down. Use a serrated knife to slice lengthwise into three thin tea sandwiches.

Imperial Sugar Insight

If using bread with crust, make sandwiches first, then remove crust. Coronation chicken salad can also be served on a bed of lettuce, in an avocado half, pastry shells, or any sandwich bread.
Coronation Chicken Salad is best made hours or a day in advance so that flavors can marry and mixture can chill thoroughly.
Recipe developed for Imperial Sugar by Bridget Edwards @Bake at 350.