Jubilee chicken sandwiches

Ingredients

• 3 small carrots, chopped
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 3 bay leaves
• 10 whole peppercorns
• 250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
• 1.4 kg whole chicken
• 30 g butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 60 ml (¼ cup) red wine
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 375 g (1¼ cups) whole-egg mayonnaise
• 70 g dried apricots, finely chopped
• 16 slices white bread
• ½ cup coriander sprigs

Instructions

Place carrots, thyme, 2 bay leaves, peppercorns, white wine and 2 litres water in a large saucepan. Add chicken, breast-side down, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Transfer the chicken to a bowl, discarding liquid or reserving for another use. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin and bones, and chop meat into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Add curry powder and turmeric, and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add red wine and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes or until reduced by half. Increase heat to medium, add tomato paste, remaining bay leaf and lemon juice, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.

Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in ¾ cup mayonnaise until combined. Add chicken and apricots, and stir to combine.

Place half the bread slices on a work surface and spread with remaining ½ cup mayonnaise. Divide the chicken mixture among bread slices. Top with coriander sprigs, then sandwich with remaining bread. Trim off crusts, and cut each sandwich into 3 fingers to serve.

As seen in Feast Magazine, Issue 13, pg101.Photography by Armelle Habib