Coronation Chicken Salad

A spiced, fruity curried chicken salad – served cold on a bed of salad, it is a light yet elegant dish.

1. Cook the chicken breast in salted water with a bay leaf, at a gentle simmer, in 15-18 minutes, then let it cool in its liquid.

2. Tear or cut it into bite-sized pieces.

3. Cook out the bitterness of the curry powder: fry it in a dry pan for half a minute, until fragrant. This step is the key.

4. Mix the mayonnaise with the Greek yoghurt, the toasted curry powder, the honey and the lemon juice.

5. Fold in the chicken and the raisins, then season with salt and pepper.

6. Chill it for at least 1 hour, then serve it mounded on lettuce leaves, sprinkled with toasted almonds.

Tip: It was made for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation lunch in 1953 – hence the name. Raw curry stays powdery in flavour, so on no account skip step 3.