Sunday, March 1, 2009

Chicken Divan - Divine Indeed

Saturday's Dinner, Chicken Divan was taken from The Gourmet Cookbook, edited by Ruth Reichl, copyright 2004. Gourmet calls this dish, created at New York's Divan Parisien in the 1950's a fancy casserole and standard dinner-party fare; I agree.
Their recipe calls for cooking Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, (BSCB) then slicing into thin strips. I start with a Costco rotisserie chicken, so much easier.
Steam a bunch of broccoli spears until just past crisp.
Make a sauce made of 1/2 stick melted butter, 4 T of flour. Melt butter, add flour to make a roux constantly stirring for several minutes to develop the flavor, then add 2 C chicken broth and 1/2 C cream, 1/4 C dry sherry and 2 t of lemon juice. I also add 1 t of curry powder and some freshly grated nutmeg.
Grate 1 C of fresh pamigiano-Reggiano cheese, I buy mine at Cantro's Italian market in Livonia, although you can buy it at any good market, I just really like Cantoro's.
Arrange the broccoli in the bottom of the casserole, I place the heads out to either side and some in the middle, pour half the sauce over the broccoli. Layer the chicken over this. Add 1/2 C of the cheese to the sauce, mix in and pour over the broccoli/chicken layers. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.
Bake 15-20 minutes at 375, broil the last 5 minutes to make golden brown and bubbly. Serve with a small salad with a vinaigrette and a nice sauvigion blanc. My new favorites are Kim Crawford from New Zealand, $12.99,a bargain at Costco, or a Veramonte, Casablanca Valley, Chile from Trader Joe's, $9.99.
From the Kim Crawford website:http://www.kimcrawfordwines.co.nz/ Aroma: Lifted aromatics of tropical fruits combined with the traditional nettle and herbaceous aromas of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Palate: Firm acidity is surrounded by hints of sweat, tropical fruits and herbaceous notes with hints of citrus sneaking in. A whopping mouthful of Marlborough.
From the Veramonte website:http://www.veramonte.com/home.html Fresh stone fruit, citrus, and herbs mingle with floral accents. Zesty, medium body with citrus, melon and herb flavors that linger on the palate. Veramonte’s Sauvignon Blanc grapes are grown in the estate vineyards near the creek, where airflow and cooler temperatures preserve the bright fruit and verve.
Bon Apetit!

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