Gourmet's Chicken Divan
Submitted by simplykait
Gourmet’s chicken divan layers blanched broccoli and sliced chicken under a silky sherry velouté finished with whipped cream, lemon, and broiled Parmesan. A refined take on the American classic.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
35 minREADY
50 minChicken divan has two lives. One is the 1970s hot-dish version built around a can of cream of mushroom and mayo. This is the other one. Named for the Divan Parisien restaurant where it originated, this is the Gourmet magazine take: a proper velouté sauce made from a butter-flour roux and chicken broth, enriched with whipped cream (not just poured) and brightened with sherry and lemon. The result is lighter and more nuanced than the condensed-soup cousin, with a glossy sauce that bubbles gold under the broiler.
Folding in whipped cream instead of pouring in liquid cream is the technical move that separates this version. Whipped cream adds air, keeping the sauce airy rather than heavy, and it holds volume under the broiler without deflating into a puddle.
The broil step at the end is quick and fierce. Six inches from the flame for just one minute caramelizes the Parmesan-dusted top without cooking the chicken past moist.
Chef Tips
- Cook the broccoli just until crisp-tender. Over-blanched broccoli goes olive-drab under the broiler.
- Whip the cream cold. Cold cream climbs higher and holds better than room-temperature cream.
- Use real Parmigiano-Reggiano, not the green can. The nutty, aged flavor carries the dish.
- Watch the broiler constantly. Every broiler runs different and this can go from golden to burnt in seconds.
Variations
- Swap chicken for cooked turkey breast to use up Thanksgiving leftovers.
- Use a dry vermouth or white wine in place of sherry for a cleaner, fresher finish.
- Add a pinch of nutmeg to the velouté for a traditional bechamel-adjacent warmth.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large saucepan of boiling, salted water, cook the broccoli for 6 to 8 minutes or until it is just tender.
Drain it well and keep warm.
In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over mod-low heat, add flour and cook roux, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Add the broth, stirring, bring the mixture, and simmer it, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and cook the mixture, stirring, for 10 minutes.
In a bowl, beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks.
Fold the cream, Sherry, and lemon juice into the sauce.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange broccoli on a flameproof patter or a 2-quart gratin dish and pour half the sauce over the broccoli.
Stir ¼ cup Parmesan into the remaining sauce.
Arrange the chicken on the broccoli, pour the remaining sauce over it, and sprinkle the mixture with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
Broil under a preheated broiler about 6 inches from the flame for 1 minute or until the sauce is golden and bubbling.
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