The Greasy Spoon

Constance Spry's Original Coronation Chicken

 

 

With Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee- and River Pageant- just around the corner, I thought it appropriate to turn our thoughts to Coronation Chicken. I admit that I like it. It's slightly bland, perhaps even a trifle naff, but the original Constance Spry recipe is, undoubtably, a classic; far better than the ubiquitous, bog-standard chicken, mayonnaise and curry powder versions you will have come across. It's going to be worth making that special effort:

 

Constance Spry's Original Coronation Chicken

Ingredients (Serves 8):

2.3kg (5lb) chicken

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 small, finely chopped onion

1 tbsp curry paste

1 tbsp tomato purée

100ml red wine

1 bay leaf

1/2 lemon juice

4 finely chopped apricot halves

300ml (1/2 pint) Mayonnaise

100ml (4 fl oz) whipping cream

Salt and pepper

Watercress to garnish

 

Instructions:

1)  Skin the chicken and cut into small pieces and grill it until cooked.

2)  In a small saucepan, heat the oil, add the onion and cook for about three minutes, until softened.

3)  Add the curry paste, tomato purée, wine, bay leaf and lemon juice.

4)  Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes until well reduced.

5)  Strain and leave to cool.

6)  Purée the chopped apricot halves in a blender or food processor or through a sieve.

7)  Beat the cooled sauce into the mayonnaise with the apricot purée.

8)  Whip the cream to stiff peaks and fold into the mixture.

9)  Season, adding a little extra lemon juice if necessary.

10)  Fold in the chicken pieces, garnish with watercress and serve.

 

I've got another bit of good news: I've started another blog. It's called The Education of a Gardener, a title nicked unashamedly from the great landscape architect, Russell Page. It's a sort of diary or scrapbook about my efforts to transform a tiny, dingy London backyard into a garden. It's going to be a very different blog from The Greasy Spoon. Simpler, less cluttered. I'm really not worried about how many people can be bothered to read it; it's going to be more of a personal diary, a chart of my progress; my struggle to turn a depressing, shady backyard into a something that I can call truly, a garden.

 

Scotch Eggs

 

 

There was a brilliant little feature on the Robert Elms radio programme yesterday (click here to listen again). It was about Scotch Eggs. Now, I haven't had a Scotch Egg for ages. If truth is to be told, I had almost forgotten about them. And I rather like them. Maybe it's a boy thing? I mentioned it to Mrs Aitch, and she pulled a face and pretended to puke. And I have to admit, now thinking about it, who can forget those dubious Scotch Eggs of past memory?  School-outing Scotch Eggs rolling around in clouded tupperware containers, with dry, blackish egg yolks and soggy breadcrumbs eminating sulphurous lingering odours.

What is a Scotch Egg?  It's a shelled hard-boiled egg, wrapped in a sausage meat mixture, coated in breadcrumbs and then deep-fried. I have no idea if it is genuinely Scottish or not, alhough I hear that the Scots like to dip Mars Bars into batter and then drop them into a deep fat fryer- which could explain many of the strange things that go on north of the border. According to wikipedia (so it must be true), Scotch Eggs were actually invented by the very English Fortnum & Mason in 1851. This has the ring of actualité about it.

Anyway, on the programme, Mr Elms and his guest blind tasted all sorts of tantalising Scotch Eggs from The Hand-made Scotch Egg Company.  This noble organisation will deliver beautifully made Scotch Eggs to your door, individually placed in those pâpier-maché egg trays. And what a choice!

"Colonel" is made from British Saddleback Pork with Shropshire Lad Beer Mustard and fresh watercress. "Pippin" comes with free-range pork, smoked bacon and apples. Or how about "Aztec" ?- that's made from free-range pork, Moroccan harissa, smoked paprika, red chili and dark chocolate. If that strikes you as a trifle over-the-top, they also sell the "Classic Mac"; cooked in the traditional way, with free-range pork, lightly spiced with a blend of seasonings.

I think I'm going to order some for Easter.  Their "wee ones" (smaller Scotch Eggs made from quail's eggs) might work well as some sort of first course?  We shall see.

Potted Shrimps

 

 

Hand held up high, I think that potted shrimps are, perhaps, one of the best traditonal British dishes of all time. Recently, I ordered some at the downstairs bar below Bibendum in the Fulham Road. They were completely delicious, buttery, flavoured with nutmeg and served with simple brown bread. By shrimps, I mean those small brownish Morecambe Bay shrimps, rather than the large Oriental variety.

Melt some unsalted butter with mace, cayenne pepper, paprika and some grated nutmeg in a small pan. Add the peeled brown shrimps and cook them very briefly in the butter at a low heat, ideally adding any juices left over from the shrimps. Squeeze in a generous amount of lemon juice.

Season with salt and pepper and divide the mixture into ramekin dishes. Let them set in the fridge and then top them off with some unclarified butter. The butter will act as a seal. When they're ready to serve, spoon out the potted shrimps and spread them on slices of brown bread.

It's best if they're served at room temperature, so that the slightly spicy butter goes soft. Perfect for this time of year or for picnics.