Coronation chicken pilaf salad
Serves: 8-12
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Stuart West
Coronation chicken pilaf salad
This is a lighter, fresher twist on a classic coronation chicken. Cooking the rice in the spiced chicken stock really helps to maximise the flavour
Serves: 8-12
Prep time: 15 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
445Kcal
Fat
19gr
Saturates
3gr
Carbs
41gr
Sugars
14gr
Fibre
4gr
Protein
25gr
Salt
0.4gr
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Sarah Akhurst
Our Food Director Sarah is a food obsessive, and spends most of her time scoping out the latest food trends, experimenting in her own kitchen, or making her family wait to eat while she photographs every dinner she makes for the 'gram! A complete Middle Eastern food junkie, she is never far from a good shawarma marinade, a pinch of Aleppo chilli or a sprig of dill
See more of Sarah Akhurst’s recipes
Ingredients
- 1 x 1.35kg small whole chicken
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 20g fresh turmeric, sliced (or ½ tsp dried)
- 5 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 5 black peppercorns
- 3-4 strips orange zest
- 250g basmati rice
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 4 large red onions, finely sliced
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 3cm root ginger, grated
- 100g dried apricots, roughly chopped
- 50g toasted flaked almonds
- 1 x 30g pack coriander, roughly chopped
For the dressing
- 50g mango chutney
- 100g Greek-style yogurt
- 100g mayonnaise
Step by step
- Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a large pan with the cinnamon, turmeric, cardamom, peppercorns and orange zest. Add cold water until the chicken is almost entirely submerged. Cover with a lid, then bring to the boil. Reduce to a very low simmer and cook for around 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked. To check, remove the chicken from the pan and check that the juices run clear from the leg. Set aside on a plate until cool enough to handle easily, then strip the meat from the carcass and roughly shred.
- Meanwhile, strain the chicken stock to remove the aromatics, then return it to the pan. Bring to the boil and add the rice. Cook the rice for 10-12 minutes until tender. Drain then spread out in a large dish to cool.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Toss the onions with the cumin seeds and curry powder, then add to the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes, until just starting to colour. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a couple of minutes. Leave to cool.
- Place the cooled rice in a large bowl and toss with the spiced onions, dried apricots, shredded chicken and most of the flaked almonds and coriander. Arrange on a large serving platter, heaping it up in the centre.
- Finely chop any fruity chunks in the mango chutney then mix with the yogurt, mayo and seasoning. Chill for up to 24 hours.
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To serve, drizzle some dressing over the salad and then serve the remainder alongside. Scatter with the remaining almonds and coriander to garnish.TipTo transport this dish, pile the pilaf onto a large serving platter or shallow dish and cover. Keep cool while transporting, but serve at room temperature, not chilled. Bring the dressing in a jar or well-covered jug, and don’t forget a serving spoon, plus the extra toasted almonds and coriander to garnish.
