Coronation chicken on toast

Serves 4

Coronation chicken on toast (Jason Lowe)

Constance Spry invented this dish for the Coronation of the Queen back in 1953, and when the dish is made with a little tender loving care, it can make a delicious cold main course that is a million miles away from some of the ghastly versions that you might remember from the Sixties and Seventies.

8 free-range chicken thighs, boned, skinned
500ml chicken stock
Small onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled, crushed
1 small, mild red chilli, chopped
1tsp ground cumin
20g root ginger, scraped and grated
1tsp ground turmeric
>4-5 curry leaves
A small piece of cinnamon stick
2 cloves
Black seeds from 3 cardamom pods
1tsp fenugreek seeds
1tsp black mustard seeds
1tbsp vegetable or corn oil
3-4tbsp good-quality mayonnaise
1tbsp Greek yoghurt
1tbsp chopped coriander
1tbsp mango chutney
4 slices of bloomer-type bread

Heat the vegetable oil in a pan and gently cook the onion, garlic, chilli and all the spices for 3-4 minutes with a lid on without colouring the onions. Add the stock and the chicken thighs; simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove the thighs and put to one side. Simmer the cooking liquid until it reduces to 3-4 tablespoons then blend in a liquidiser; leave to cool. Mix with the mayonnaise, yoghurt, coriander and chutney and season.

Cut the chicken into chunks and mix with the sauce and leave for a couple of hours in the fridge. Toast the bread and spoon the chicken on top.