Rosie’s Recipes
Coronation Chicken The Story of the Original
on to make careers from their time there. Thanks to social media, many of us are able I was very lucky and privileged to have to contact each other through a What’s App the opportunity to attend Winkfield Place between Ascot and Windsor where Constance group dedicated to Winkfield and re establish friendships, even over the years as we all have Spry and Rosemary Hume had set up, our experience at Winkfield in common. before the war, the residential Cordon Bleu When I arrived I was no cook with no School away from the Cordon Bleu School, confidence! However I worked hard to achieve Marylebone Lane, London. the Cordon Bleu Diploma and was to take my first job as a cook and teacher at Silwood Kitchen in Cape Town, South Africa and this started my career in cookery for life. One of the highlights for Rosemary Hume and Winkfield was being asked to create a menu and serve luncheon on the occasion of The Queen’s Coronation to representatives of other countries invited by Her Majesty to be present in Westminster Abbey held in The Great Hall of Westminster School, at 2pm. It was for 350 people; there would be people of many nationalities, some of whom would eat no meat. Kitchen accommodation was too small to serve hot food beyond Soup and Coffee. Rosemary Hume created the now famous Coronation Chicken This is when Coronation Chicken came into recipe history, but often shortcuts or different recipes are called by this title. The original My framed tea towel from Winkfield Place recipe is authentic and by far the best and still loved by many and great for parties or any It was a beautiful house in lovely grounds in time. the country and pupils could learn Cordon I have done it for weddings and buffet parties Bleu Cookery, Constance Spry flowers, and when we have a family party it is always Secretarial skills, dressmaking, sewing, laundry included as a favourite! and more! Also experiencing Scottish dancing There are changes I make to the original and Balls at Sandhurst. recipe, sometimes I use chicken breasts and It was a brilliant life skills learning poach for ease and quickness. And I never use opportunity after school and many girls went 54
