Whip up a Jamie Oliver Jubilee special

Top chef Jamie Oliver tells us how to make the quintessentially British dish of 'Coronation chicken'...

“The dish we know as Coronation chicken was created in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s 1953 coronation and I’m sure it was probably an update on Jubilee chicken, which was created for King George V’s Silver Jubilee in 1935,” says top British chef Jamie Oliver of a Great British favourite.

“Coronation chicken is served with salad and in sandwiches in restaurants, cafés and supermarkets all over the world - and unfortunately it’s become one of those things that’s often done very badly.

“So let me introduce you to Diamond Jubilee chicken! I’m amplifying the crispy-skinned tender chicken,

using lovely spices, sweet ripe fruit, fresh herbs and citrus to make it worthy of the occasion. I’ll be offering to make it for her when the Jubilee rolls around (though I might calm the chillies down a bit!).”

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 4 TO 6

8 large free-range chicken thighs, bone in and skin on

1 heaped tablespoon garam masala

1 level teaspoon cumin seeds

1 level teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon chilli powder

olive oil

sea salt and ground pepper

a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled

4 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 lemon

a handful of cashews or almonds

2 heaped tablespoons sesame seeds

½ a ripe pineapple, peeled and cored

½ a cucumber, seeds scraped out

6 spring onions, trimmed

1 fresh red chilli

250g natural yoghurt

2 limes

a small bunch of fresh coriander

Method

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5.

Put the chicken thighs into a bowl with all the spices, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Grate in the ginger and garlic, and squeeze in the juice of the lemon. Feel free to put some rubber gloves on, then mix and rub those flavours all over the chicken.

Arrange the thighs in a snug-fitting roasting tray in a single layer, skin side up, and cook at the top of the oven for around 50 minutes, or until the meat pulls away easily from the bone.

Once cooked, remove the chicken skin and place it upside down on a separate roasting tray. Scatter the nuts and seeds over the skin, then put it back into the oven for around 10 minutes, or until the skin is really crispy and the nuts are toasted (don’t burn them, set the alarm!).

Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Meanwhile, chop the pineapple and cucumber into 1cm cubes and sprinkle them on to a beautiful serving platter, then finely slice the spring onions and chilli and add those to the platter too, saving a little fresh chilli for garnishing.

Spoon away any fat from the roasting tray, leaving the juices behind, then use two forks to pull the chicken meat apart in the tray, discarding the bones and any wobbly bits. Move all the delicious meat to the serving platter then, in the tray mix three quarters of the yoghurt, the juice of 2 limes, and the chopped coriander stalks, keeping the leaves aside. Mix everything up nicely, scraping all the goodness from the bottom of the tray, then taste and season to perfection.

Pour the sauce all over the platter, then toss and mix everything together using two forks. Clean around the edges of the platter if it’s messy, then sprinkle over the crispy skin, toasted nuts and seeds, the coriander leaves and red chilli.

Drizzle over the rest of the yoghurt and serve.

recipes © Jamie Oliver 2011