Coronation Cauliflower

coronation cauliflower
From Stonesoup
serves 2
takes 10 mins

Inspired by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and his River Cottage Canteen chef, Tim Maddams.

If you are wondering where the name comes from, ‘coronation chicken’ was a salad of cold chicken in a creamy curry based sauce apparently served at the banquet of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II way back in 1953. The idea to switch the chicken for fresh raw cauliflower is a brilliant one.

I’ve simplified Tim’s version quite considerably so we’re only using dried coriander and fresh coriander to flavour, rather than a curry powder or a blend of curry spices.

Brilliant as a simple lunch.

6 tablespoons whole egg mayonnaise
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 cauliflower
splash lemon juice, optional
handful roasted almonds
small handful fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped

1. Combine mayo and coriander in a medium bowl.

2. Trim cauli and finely chop into bight sized pieces no larger than a grape.

3. Toss chopped cauli in the dressing. Taste and season, using the lemon juice if you need a bit more freshness or vitality.

4. Serve topped with almonds and fresh coriander.

VARIATIONS
carnivore – replace some or all of the cauli with shredded BBQ chicken from the shop.

vegan – choose a vegan mayonnaise.

egg-free – use natural yoghurt instead. And skip the lemon juice

coronation broccoli – replace the cauli with a large head of broccoli.

nut-free – replace the almonds with some toasted bread crumbs.

more substantial – either be more generous with the nuts, or stir in a few chopped hard boiled eggs. OR better yet do both.

different spices – try a combination of equal quantities of ground cumin, coriander and turmeric OR a good quality curry powder.

budget – if serving as a side salad you could skip the almonds.