Coronation chicken

for kweens

A few weeks ago I was walking with a friend and the conversation took a turn during which I found myself starting a sentence with, “Well, I am a patriot, so…” and my friend was surprised. “Gosh, that’s nice to hear,” she said. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say that.”

I immediately worried that it made me look like a NF crazy. I’m not! I’m a very reasonable person. But the thing is, I really am a patriot. I can't sing Jerusalem without bursting into tears and I’m still flying British Airways despite it being demonstrably the worst airline.

I really love my country. I love my country in the way that I might love another person in that I don’t love my country to the exclusion of all others and I see plainly that there are things that could be better about it but generally, yeah.

I mean, have you ever seen a Hawthorne tree in blossom on a country road in spring? Have you ever been blown across a soggy heath in a howling gale and been greeted by the only other person coming the other way with a cheery, “Lovely day!” I would take a bullet for the Queen. None of the others. Maybe Kate. But definitely the Queen.

And so in that spirit, and in timely fashion for the Platinum Jubilee on the 12th May, here is a recipe for coronation chicken! This is a excellent recipe, adapted from one made up by my friend Julia Churchill who has a very apt surname for all this talk of patriotism.