This retro combination of cooked chicken meat, herbs and spices, in a creamy mayonnaise-based sauce can be eaten as a salad, a topping for a baked potato or as a sandwich filling.
Originally called ‘Poulet Reine Elizabeth’, the recipe was created by Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in London to be served at the official luncheon of the 1953 coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. This recipe is our contemporary take on the original. We used whole-egg mayonnaise in this recipe.
1.Place the chicken into a large saucepan with the onion, carrot, parsley and tarragon. Cover with cold water, add sea-salt and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Switch off heat, remove lid and leave chicken in the liquid until cool.
2.Drain the apricots, reserving 2 tablespoons of the syrup. Cut the apricots into thin strips.
3.Combine the mayonnaise, curry paste, cream and reserved syrup in a medium bowl. If you like a dressing with bite, add more curry paste to taste. Remove the flesh from the chicken and put into a bowl. Shred into small pieces and then add the mayonnaise mixture and apricot pieces. Toss gently until the chicken is lightly coated in the dressing.
4.Divide chicken mixture among serving plates, sprinkle with the flaked almonds and serve with watercress.
If you don’t have time to poach the chicken, buy a barbecued chicken. The flavour will be quite different but you will save time. Alternatively poach the chicken the day before and refrigerate overnight.
This recipe was first published online in 2018. The page was updated in 2023.
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