Photo: Chicken Divan with Almonds Recipe
Chicken Divan, created and served with great flourish in the Divan Parisienne Restaurant in New York's Chatham Hotel in the early twentieth century, remains one of America's most classic and delicious casseroles, a dish as appropriate to an elegant buffet as on the family supper table. In my own lifetime, the casserole was a specialty at the renowned Locke-Ober restaurant in Boston, and it was there I learned to enhance the dish by adding a few slivered almonds.
Ingredients
- 1 (2-pound) head broccoli, stems removed
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry
- 12 slices cooked chicken or turkey
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Directions
Place a collapsible steamer in a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, pour in enough water to just reach the bottom of the steamer, and bring to a boil.
Break the broccoli into florets and place them in the saucepan. Steam until just tender, about 5 to 7 minutes and drain.
Preheat to oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a shallow 2-quart casserole and set side.
In a medium-size saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat, then add the flour and stir for 1 minute. Gradually add the broth and milk and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper; add the nutmeg, 1/4 cup of the cheese, and the sherry. Stir until the cheese melts, and remove from the heat.
Arrange the broccoli in the prepared casserole in a single layer, sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese over the top, arrange the chicken slices evenly over the broccoli, and sprinkle the almonds over the top.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, fold into the cheese sauce, pour evenly over the chicken and almonds, and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 35 minutes.
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By tinker_brat
gras valley, CA
on January 24, 2011
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Great base Recipe! I agree With the other comments. Make it your own..I roasted chicken breast on the bone with the skin on till just below 160 degrees...removed bone and skin when cool enough and sliced on the diagnal. Rather than steam the broccoli I roasted it for 10 minutes at 350 in the same caserole dish I was going to use to serve the meal.to the cheese sauce I added shallots, garlic an thyme and omitted the nummeg (I didn't have anyI doubled the recipe so I used half parmesan and half havarti...This was absolutely deliciouse I took it to a potluck and everyone including the kids loved it! The chicken was tender and the broccoli was cooked perfectly. This is definately a new family favorite!
By MJBurton
WINSTON-SALEM, NC
on January 16, 2011
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FABULOUS!!! For some reason it's always hard to find a recipe for Chicken Divan that does not involve "cream of something" soup <bleh> so when I found this & it had everything I looked for, I gave it a whirl - and was greatly rewarded! The taste is just wonderful, even better the next day. Only substitution I made was to use gruyere cheese instead of parm, as that's what is in the classic French recipe. I found it a bit watery, so will probably reduce the amount of chicken stock next time - but that's hardly a criticism since overall it was fantastic :D Highly recommend!
By Expat in Holland
Living back in ...
on August 10, 2008
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This was a lovely recipe. It was fairly easy to make. I read the reviews and took some of the comments to heart. I sauted a chopped shallot in butter before adding the flour, when making the sauce. It did add a nice flavor. Also instead of adding the last 1/4 cup parmesan when layering the mixture into the baking dish, I subbed grated cheddar cheese. All in all it was a fabulous recipe. My husband who had never heard of Chicken Divan before, told me it is 'a keeper'. I agree, it made a very nice meal.
Read all 29 reviews