Mar 26, 2010

Chicken Divan

Chicken divan was the signature specialty of a now defunct restaurant in New York City called Divan Parisien. In Lawton Mackall's Knife and Fork in New York (Doubleday & Company, 1949), chicken divan is described as a "runaway success dish year in, year out…sliced chicken breast on broccoli in a sherry-laced sauce of cheese and cream, browned and brought to table bubbling hot." This version is based on one in Crazy for Casseroles (The Harvard Common Press, 2003) by James Villas and was featured in Irene Sax's "The Age of Casseroles," from our December 2006 issue.

Credit: Andr¿ Baranowski

2 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
(about 1 lb.)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large head broccoli (about 2 lbs.), stemmed and
broken into 1"–2" florets
5 tbsp. butter
1⁄4 cup flour
1 cup Chicken Stock
1 cup milk
3 tbsp. sherry
1⁄8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1⁄2 cup finely grated parmigiano-reggiano
1 cup slivered almonds
1⁄2 cup heavy cream

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, 13–15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; let cool slightly. Cut chicken lengthwise on the bias into 1⁄4"-thick slices and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, put broccoli into a large pot, cover with salted water, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until barely tender, 2–3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. Preheat oven to 375°. Rub the inside of a 2-quart casserole dish with 1 tbsp. of the butter; set aside. Melt remaining 4 tbsp. butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually pour in stock and milk while whisking constantly. Cook until very thick, about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper, sherry, nutmeg, and 1⁄4 cup of the cheese; stir until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Remove cheese sauce from heat and let cool slightly.

4. Arrange broccoli in the prepared dish in a single layer; sprinkle with remaining 1⁄4 cup cheese. Arrange chicken evenly over top; sprinkle with almonds. In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream to soft peaks; fold into sauce. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake, with a baking sheet underneath to catch any drips, until golden brown and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

SERVES 6

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #98

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Ratings & Reviews (13)

by Cecile on 2008-11-02

this did nothing for me at all. it was easy to make and would be an improvement over the "can of this, can of that" versions, but we didn't enjoy it at all. luckily i cut the recipe in half.

by evilpierce on 2009-05-13

Took awhile to make, but was pretty good. Goes nicely with white rice. I would make this again in the future. The nutmeg and almonds give it a unique flavor.

by Lizabeth on 2009-11-12

I liked this recipe, it was simple, cooked well and had surprising results. The almond silvers really added to it! Wow! It was also great as a left-over! I served it with garlic risotto and it was very yummy!
I recommend for a quick, tasty dinner at home with family! I cooked it in less then 1 hour which is great for busy family. I think kids will like it too as the creamy sauce is a great vehicle for the broccoli!

by milest on 2010-01-10

Delicious - but why the last step?

Whipped the cream, folded it in to the sauce, and as it baked the air came out and the sauce thinned. Huh?

Now it is possible that I should have cooked the sauce until it was thicker, before folding in the cream, but that could have been just as easily achieved with an extra bit of roux.

Thoughts on this will be welcome.

Cheers -Miles

by loubaby on 2010-09-05

I believe the cream was added for richness...texture and flavor...

by CandyLZ on 2010-09-06

this is a GREAT use for leftover chicken or TURKEY...
but I did want to ask if anyone had tried it without the last 1/2 cup of cream. It seems like the souce would be thick and rich without it....

by ANDREWAWAY on 2010-09-30

I'm sure this is very tasty but that poor broccoli looks so anaemic. Would skipping the blanching solve that? Probably not. When this dish was created pale green broccoli was what everyone ate. They didn't know any better.

by bubbleskid on 2010-10-05

I made this recipe, with some changes. For starters, I used 6 fresh large chicken breast meat strips, not sure of the weight, but that's what I had on hand. Also, I used 2 heads of broccoli, and I didn't add the 1/2 cup of heavy cream. I really enjoyed the taste of this dish. Pretty easy to make. However, I don't think that this dish would provide 6 servings. With my modifications, it served me exactly twice. I'm a petite female who has been accused of eating like a lumberjack. So, perhaps with more chicken this would conceivably feed 4 people. But not 6.

by JMDDC on 2011-02-20

I have not tried this yet but plan to do it. I'm not sure I understand the need to whip the cream. Why not just add it to the sauce? I guess it could lighten the texture of the sauce.

by SPENCERS on 2012-02-06

I accelerated the sauce thickening by using half & half instead of milk and cream of mushroom instead of heavy cream, and then couldn't resist adding 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella to the parmigiano-reggiano topping.

by terraame on 2012-02-08

This was delicious, but I also don't get the last step.

by rnelson on 2012-08-21

We liked a lot, but not outstanding. Kids loved. And, very easy to make, so four stars. Made as is and wouldn't alter. Leftovers with two adults and three kids.

by SEDONASAM on 2012-12-13

Yeah. I cooked the sauce all at once on the stove and it thickened up quite well. That said, then I didn't feel as if there was enough sauce. I think I'd probably double the milk and skip the cream and thicken it as a roux on the stove. It also needs more sherry, more nutmeg and more seasonings in general.

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