WHO COOKED THAT UP?

  J. J. Schnebel wonders...

Chicken Divan (pronounced deevAHn) is named for a by-gone New York restaurant.  I know, because I ate there in the mid 1950's.  The Divan Parisien Restaurant was at 33 East 48th Street and Chicken Divan was its specialty.   The banquettes that lined the walls were not exactly couches, but at the time I assumed they formed the "divan" that inspired the name of the restaurant.  Not so.  The word "divan" is of Turkish origin and has several meanings, ranging from the Sultan's council chamber to the kind of furniture (e.g., elaborate couches) one might find there.  In English the word almost always refers to  furniture, but in French it can also mean a special meeting place.  It seems to me the restaurateur wished his place to be a place for important people to congregate and enjoy French food Parisian style.

At any rate the dish was, and is, formed by placing slices of breast of chicken over spears of cooked broccoli covered with a cream sauce and baked or broiled until slightly bubbly.  Unfortunately, neither the name of the chef nor the owner of the restaurant is known by the general public today and, although we know where it was created, we do not know who created it.

The dish actually has two forms.  The first is an approximation of the French cuisine at the restaurant.  The second is a quick and easy way to serve leftover chicken or turkey with a good-for-you vegetable in a casserole dish.   There are many variations of either
method, but here are two of my favorites.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly butter a 9X13 glass dish or shallow casserole.

Wash and trim broccoli, then boil or steam it until just tender (about 7 or 8 minutes).

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and add the flour.  Stir for one minute, then gradually add the broth and milk until the sauce is thickened.  Add the nutmeg, half of the cheese and the sherry or wine.  Stir until the cheese melts, then remove from the heat.

Place the broccoli in the prepared pan or dish and sprinkle the remaining cheese over it.  Place the chicken slices evenly over the cheese.

Whip the heavy cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form and carefully fold it into the cheese sauce and pour it over the chicken.

Bake about 30-35 minutes, or until slightly bubbly and golden brown.

4-6 Servings.

1 box frozen broccoli flowerets
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 Tablespoon butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly butter 9 X 13 shallow baking dish or casserole.
Cook broccoli flowerets according to package directions.  Do not overcook.
Mix soup and milk together.  Mix bread crumbs and butter

Place cooked broccoli in prepared pan.  Add chicken pieces evenly over top.  Pour on soup and milk mixture evenly over chicken.  Cover with cheddar cheese.  Sprinkle with bread crumb mixture.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until bubbly and golden brown.

4 servings
 

Who Cooked That Up? is copyrighted 2005 by J.J. Schnebel
all rights reserved for your pleasure and enlightenment

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