Last Updated on October 11, 2020 by Fiona Maclean
Cookbook and Travel Stories – Lavender and Lovage (and a recipe for Coronation Chicken from the book)
I’ve known Karen almost since I started my own blog. I’ve admired her food photography and enjoyed her recipes both in my own home and at hers in France. We share a love of travel and in many ways had similar itinerant childhoods, though I suspect her mother was slightly more grounded than mine and from everything I’ve heard was certainly a more enthusiastic cook. So, I was thrilled to get a preview copy of Lavender and Lovage a week or so ago and was searching around for a recipe to test. What could be more appropriate than Coronation Chicken? It’s a heritage British dish that for me epitomises Karen’s cookery. It’s something I remember from my own childhood and I was curious to see how Karen’s version worked against the one my mother used to make for us. Both Karen and I have written a lot about low calorie recipes for the 5:2 diet and both of us tend towards producing healthier versions of British classic recipes
I have to confess that despite having volunteered to help with the recipe testing before publication, I am probably the worst recipe tester in the world. But, Karen’s new book is actually something that works even for someone like me. I made and loved a yellow lentil soup with lemon that is in the book as part of the testing process and also tried an easy chicken doner kebab. I’ve already made the yellow lentil soup several times since and love the way that the lemon lifts the dish while the lentils provide a filling comfort meal. I suspect I’ll be making Coronation chicken again too because it’s such a good way to make something different with poultry.
There are a couple of theories about the origin of Coronation chicken. It was part of a menu devised by the Cordon Bleu cookery school for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It was originally credited to Rosemary Hume and Constance Spry who were both principals of the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London at the time. You can find the recipe that was used on the Cordon Bleu website – it’s actually quite complicated and involves red wine, apricot puree and whipped cream. It was partly governed by what would have been available in post-war Britain – so for example, there’s curry powder rather than individual spices and a sauce that didn’t rely on mayonnaise.
Subsequently, it’s been suggested that the recipe was actually a variation on a dish prepared for the silver jubilee of George V in 1935. And, more recently, Heston Blumenthal created ‘Diamond Jubilee Chicken’ which is similar to the original recipe but involves making your own spice mixture rather than using curry powder and brining the chicken in spices and with golden syrup for sweetness before grilling it.
Far more accessible is Karen’s version of coronation chicken, which for the most part uses ingredients I already have in my store-cupboard. She recommends using curry paste and uses reduced-fat mayonnaise and half fat creme fraiche to create a much lighter and healthier coronation chicken than the version you’ll find in most supermarket sandwiches. And, for me, the real advantage of making up my own healthy coronation chicken is that I can adjust the ingredients very easily to my own taste. I also have to confess I made my own version using a left-over chicken breast from the Sunday roast, rather than following Karen’s suggestion and poaching the breasts in stock. I do think it works very well as a way of using up leftover poultry – it’s a great way to use up leftover turkey too.
Karen’s coronation chicken recipe uses a mild red onion chutney in addition to chunky mango chutney. I know when my mother made her own version of coronation chicken it involved apricot jam and canned apricots – mostly because the only time we used canned apricots was for coronation chicken. The red-onion chutney is a spicier, less sweet alternative and I rather like it, although I did cut the quantity recommended down a lot I suspect that may be down to variations in the brand. What I’d suggest is tasting as you go and adding the mango chutney first when you make this healthy coronation chicken recipe.
As Karen suggested, I served my coronation chicken in Baby Gem lettuce leaves. It would make an excellent seasonal buffet dish – and whatever is left over does work very well in a jacket potato or in sandwiches. It will keep well in the fridge for a few days in a sealed container, but I would advise against freezing as the creamy sauce will not thaw out well. I’ve already stayed with Karen when she has had a party and I know that her recipe book is packed with more dishes you’ll enjoy if you are making up a festive buffet
Here’s Karen’s recipe for healthy coronation chicken which she’s nicknamed ‘Panama Canal’ –

A lighter Coronation Chicken recipe from Karen Burns Booth's recipe book, Lavender and Lovage - serves 6 as part of a buffet or 4 served as a salad main course
- 2 large cooked chicken breast fillets roughly diced into small chunks
- 50 g toasted flaked almonds
- lettuce leaves to serve
- 2 tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise I used Hellmans
- 2 tbsp half fat creme fraiche I used Yeo Valley
- 1/2 Lemon Juice only
- 1/2-2 tbsp caramelised red onion chutney Karen recommends a full 2 tablespoons of red onion chutney. I added about half a tablespoon and thought there was enough for my palate
- 2 tsp chunky mango chutney
- 2 tsp curry paste mild or medium
- small bunch spring onions
- salt and pepper to taste
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Mix together the creme fraiche and mayonnaise, then stir through the lemon juice to loosen it.
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Stir through the curry paste and the white parts of the spring onions
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Gently fold in the chutneys. I'd suggest starting with the mango chutney, then adding enough caramelised red onion chutney to suit your own taste
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Season with salt and pepper and add more curry paste as necessary. You should have a light, creamy and piquant sauce where no one flavour dominates
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Add the diced chicken and fold through till all the pieces are coated.
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Line a serving bowl with leaves and spoon the chicken mixture over. Garnish with spring onions and toasted flaked almonds
An easy dish to serve as part of a buffet or to keep in the fridge for sandwich fillings or jacket potato toppings
What I like about this recipe for a healthier coronation chicken, as with many of the ideas in Karen’s book, is that I can easily see how I can adjust them to make them my own. I might consider adding sultanas and fresh mango to the base coronation chicken mixture and I would be curious to try making up my own spice mixture rather than using curry paste. I also think it would probably work made with no mayonnaise at all and a mixture of creme fraiche and Greek yoghurt, with caramelised red onions (rather than chutney) and fresh mango for a really light dish. So I will be experimenting.
And, what I like best about Karen’s book is that it really is about her. It’s the kind of book which even if you’ve never met her, by the time you’ve browsed through to the end you will know her. It’s the kind of book that I have propping up my bedside table. I’m not very good at following recipes but I do enjoy reading them, especially when, as is the case with Lavender and Lovage the recipes themselves are accompanied by snippets of life. The context makes the whole thing far more meaningful for me.
We’re having a get-together of family and friends over Christmas and this would be ideal I think.
This coronation chicken would be great for lunchtime. It looks yummy.
Sounds like a nice dish for the summer months
In summer, eaten outside with friends
I’d look forward to it for my lunch at work xx
I think it would be ideal on an evening when my parents in law come for dinner!
This would be great for a summer Sunday tea and the leftovers for sandwiches on Monday!
summer picnic 🙂
In summer alongside a barbecue
I would have this in sandwiches at work
A baked sweet potato.
For when the sun comes back and picnics are possible lol
Would be lovely at the weekend
I’d love it at dinner on a weekend as a tasty meal I could look forward to
I’d have it for my lunch
To be honest, this particular recipe will not be going anywhere near my lips as I don’t like curry but I’ve had a look at some of the other recipes in the book and I think I’d use it a lot
It would be great for lunch time
I’d be interested in trying it with Quorn chicken over the Christmas period
this would make a lovely lunch 🙂
I love having it for lunch at work
I’d enjoy it doing an afternoon tea party with my daughter
Would be lovely in a baked potato for lunch x
This would be an awesome lunchtime meal for me when my friend comes over
I’d make the dressing and substitute the chicken for tofu and serve it with a green salad and home made flatbreads
With some lettuce in a sandwich
aww:)
Summer lunch
It would be a lovely lunch on a sweet potato
Love to impress my friends with my new found culinary delights – they’d be thrilled
It looks like it would go so well with a Pimm’s at a summer picnic.
The recipe would be great for picnics or buffets but I could honestly eat it at anytime
For a lovely catch up with my Mom x
Perfect lunch for when I’ve got the girls round
I’d have it for lunch all year round. Love coronation chicken x
sitting in the garden in the summer
It’d be the perfect lunch to make for my mum and I.
Friday Nights, after a long week – good soul food!
In my motorhome on a long road trip
Would be great for picnics in the summer
I would enjoy this in a baked sweet potato.
Lunch time at work nom nom
lovely for saturday brunch
I reckon this’d be great for sunday dinner!
I would enjoy this on a nice winter’s evening
I would enjoy this on a nice summers day in the garden
It would be ideal for a weekday supper
I give it 5 Stars
Coronation Chicken is good anytme of the day and anytime of the year
When my family is over
Sunday lunch
id definately have to try this, perfect for taking to enjoy with friends
for lunch
This isn’t really something I’d eat but I’d happily make it for get togethers – I think it would go down really well.
Anytime anywhere
I think this would be great for a Christmas buffet
In a butty
Anytime! I love coronation chicken – in a sandwich, on a jacket potato, with a salad.
For a family meal at the end of the week
I would enjoy it anytime, but i think it would be perfect for picnics and outdoor lunches!
for my lunch
I would eat this anytime, but I would probably be more likely to eat lunch time
I’d eat it anytime guys – looks delicious and healthy too – bonus
Probably on date night with hubbie as I am not sure whether the kids would eat it! x
Amazing for lunches in the sunshine
Al fresco dining in summer
My mum has an obsession with coronation chicken. At home we used it in everything, sandwiches, jackets and even as a dip one evening ?
Will have to try this recipe!
It would be great for picnics or lunches.
I`d look forward to enjoying this on some summer picnics
Summer lunches
It would be great on top of a sweet potato jacket for work lunches
It would be great for summer picnics
some sweet potato chips