Chicken Divan is a retro dish that deserved to be modernized.
Retro dishes can be quite comforting and they endure for a reason! The original recipe was more elaborate with a Hollandaise sauce
The recipe was named for its place of invention, the Divan Parisien Restaurant at Chatham Hotel in New York City by a chef named Lagas. It became the hotel's signature dish in the 1940s! The hallmarks are chicken and broccoli in a creamy sauce served over noodles. Over time some spices and a hint of cheese seem to have made their way in.
I am sure there are some 'streamlined' recipes that use a Cream of Chicken soup as the mainstay of the sauce but we are going with real cream here.
This is a great way to get your vegetables incorporated in to your meal!
I served this with a side Caesar salad. The Parmesan in the chicken and the salad make it a great match. Noodles are also good for soaking up the sauce. Also - consider a baked potato as a side. That cheese and broccoli make a potato topper right there!
Wine Pairing for Chicken Divan
Lots of choices here since chicken and cream sauce are so versatile. An Italian Soave would be nice, a Chardonnay, a Pinot Grigio. Really any dry or off-dry white would go well here.
If you are thinking red go for a medium bodied red like a Barbera, Beaujolais or a Pinot Noir.
Chicken Divan
If you tried this, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know it went in the 📝 comments below!
Save Print Pin FacebookIngredients
- 3 Tbsps vegetable oil divided 1 + 2
- 1 large head of broccoli trimmed and cut in to bite size pieces
- 2 ½ cup chicken broth divided ½ + 2 cups
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- salt and pepper for seasoning
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 shallots minced
- 1 cup whipping cream
- ½ cup dry sherry
- 2 tsps Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups grated Parmesan cheese divided 1 cup + ½
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh preferred
- 3 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Move oven rack to bottom third of oven and heat the broiler.
- Heat 1 Tsps vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add broccoli and cook 1-2 minutes until brown spots start to appear. Add ½ cup of chicken broth, cover and steam broccoli another 2 minutes.
- Transfer the broccoli to a platter.
- Dry the skillet. Add remaining 2 Tbsps vegetabel oil to the skillet. While it is heating up, season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour to coat. Cook the chicken 2-3 minutes per side until lightly browned. Transfer breasts to a separate platter.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the shallots. After a minue add the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth and the whipping cream. Return the skillet to the heat and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add chicken and any reserved juices back to the skillet and simmer about 10 minutes until chkcen is cooked through. Remove breasts to a clean plate. Continue simmering the sauce until has reduced to 1 cup. This may take up to 10 minutes. Add the sherry and Worcestershire sauce and simmer another 3 minutes.
- Whisk the egg yolks an dlemon juice in a small bowl. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese into the cream sauce in the skillet. Whisk ¼ cup of the cream sauce in to the bowl of egg yolks. Stiry vigorously while adding so you don't cook the egg yolks.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and whisk the egg mixture into the skillet. Whisk in the butter after the eggs have been incorporated.
- Cut the chicken cross=wise into ½" slices and arrange in a broiler proof pan. Scatter the broccoli over the chicken. Pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli. Top with the remaining ½ cup of cheese. Broil 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately.
- Serve immediately with noodles or baked potatoes.
Leave a Reply