From “Coronation Chicken” to “Coronation Quiche”: If you are still looking for snack ideas for the coronation on May 6th, you will find them here.
On special occasions, the British royals always appoint a special dish to inspire the people to come together for a feast. For his coronation on May 6th, King Charles III. (74) chose the “Coronation Quiche”. – a quiche of spinach, beans, cheese and tarragon. People across the country are said to gather in their communities for so-called “big lunches” on the day of his coronation and feast on the dish. Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022) also chose a recipe for her coronation in 1953, which is now practically national property in Great Britain, and there was a dessert for the platinum anniversary in 2022. If you want to dine like a king next Saturday while the coronation is on TV, you will find some of the royals’ favorite recipes here.
“Coronation Quiche” for the coronation of King Charles III, 2023
Ingredients: 125 g flour, a pinch of salt, 25 g cold butter (diced), 25 g lard, 2 tbsp milk (or alternatively: a pre-packaged fresh shortcrust pastry), 125 ml milk, 175 ml double cream, 2 medium-sized eggs, 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon, salt and pepper, 100g grated cheddar, 180g cooked spinach, 60g cooked broad beans or soybeans, quiche pan
Preparation:
For the dough, sift the flour and salt into a bowl, add the butter and lard and rub with your fingertips until you get a sandy dough. Gradually add the milk and knead to form a dough. Cover and let rest in the fridge for 30 to 45 minutes.
Flour a work surface and roll out the dough into a circle slightly larger than the top of the tin and about 5mm thick. Line the mold with the dough, being careful not to make any holes or the mixture could spill. Cover and leave to rest in the fridge for a further 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Line the baking tin with the dough with baking paper and baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 160 degrees. Whisk together the milk, cream, eggs, herbs and spices in a bowl. Scatter half of the shredded cheddar over the crust, top with chopped spinach, beans, and herbs, then pour the liquid mixture over the top.
Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until the quiche is lightly golden.
“Coronation Chicken” for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, 1953
For her coronation in 1953, Queen Elizabeth II chose the so-called “Coronation Chicken” as a special dish: a poultry dish made from boiled cold chicken, mayonnaise and curry powder – with the curry spice, which was still “exotic” at the time, a homage to the former Empire, at the same time with simple ones Ingredients like chicken and mayonnaise not too luxurious given the post-war era.
Ingredients: 2 kg chicken, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 small onion (finely chopped), 1 tbsp curry paste, 1 tbsp tomato puree, 100 ml red wine, 1 bay leaf, juice of half a lemon, 4 apricot halves (finely chopped), 300 ml mayonnaise, 100 ml whipping cream, salt and pepper and some watercress for garnish
Preparation:
Skin the chicken, cut into small pieces and grill until cooked through.
Heat oil in a small saucepan, sauté onion in it until translucent. Add curry paste, tomato puree, red wine, bay leaf and lemon juice. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes until well reduced. Strain and let cool.
Puree the chopped apricot halves and fold into the mayonnaise along with the cooled sauce. Whip the cream until stiff and add to the mixture. Season with salt and pepper and add more lemon juice if needed.
Fold in the grilled chicken pieces, garnish with watercress and serve as a salad. Or typically British: use it as a filling for a sandwich!
Victoria Sponge Cake from the reign of Queen Victoria
Still a real hit at royal garden parties and one of the favorite desserts of many Britons: the Victoria Sponge Cake! Named after Queen Victoria (1819-1901), who sat on the British throne from 1837. The monarch is said to have eaten the sponge cake almost every day at tea time. Here there are the official royal recipe.
Ingredients: 3 eggs, 150g sugar, 150g softened unsalted butter, 150g flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 0.5 tsp vanilla extract, raspberry or strawberry jam, 150g softened unsalted butter, 220g caster sugar, 5 drops of vanilla essence
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease two 20cm cake tins.
Cream together the sugar, vanilla extract and butter until you get a fluffy consistency. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and gradually add to the cream. Sift in the flour and mix in.
Divide the batter equally into the greased cake tins and bake on the middle shelf for about 20 minutes until both cakes are golden brown. Then let cool.
For the buttercream, cream together the butter, sifted powdered sugar and vanilla essence.
When both slices of cake have cooled completely, spread the top of one generously with jam and cover with a thick layer of buttercream. Then place the second cake on top and press lightly. Garnish the cake with powdered sugar. Tip from the royal chefs: enjoy with a pot of English tea!
From the Palace Kitchen: Recipe for Fruit Scones
Another British classic and perfect as a TV snack: scones! The pastry chefs of the royal palace kitchen have developed her very own recipewhich will probably end up on the plates of Charles, Camilla and Co. on a regular basis.
Ingredients: 500g flour, 28g baking powder, 94g butter, 86g sugar, 2 eggs, 140ml buttermilk, 100g sultanas
Preparation:
Cover sultanas with hot water and soak for half an hour.
Mix flour, baking powder, butter and sugar in a bowl until a sandy dough forms. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and buttermilk and gradually add to the batter. Knead until a smooth dough forms. Add the sultanas and spread well in the batter.
Remove the dough from the bowl and cover, let rest for 30 minutes. Then roll out so that the dough is about 2.5 cm thick. Cut out circles, place on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and let rest for another 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Glaze the scones with a little egg and bake in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. The scones are typically served with clotted cream and jam.