Chicken Divan
Cooking for One
- Course: Main Course
Summary:
A simple dish done well, even on a small scale. You'll need only half the sauce called for in this recipe, so freeze the rest for future use. To make a larger amount of sauce for storage, just double, triple or quadruple the amounts and freeze in half-cup containers.
1 serving
Ingredients:
For the sauce- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup low-fat milk
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 or 3 gratings nutmeg
- 1 to 2 tablespoon or more homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 to 2 tablespoon dry sherry
- 1/2 bunch broccolini
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 slices cooked chicken breast, plus a few scraps (about 6 ounces)
Directions:
For the sauce: Melt the butter in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring to combine. Remove from the heat, and when the bubbles subside, add the milk. Return to the stove, reduce the heat to low and stir vigorously until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper and a few gratings of nutmeg and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes (there should be about 3/4 cup total). Transfer half of the sauce to a container and reserve for another use.
For the chicken and broccolini: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Have ready a small, shallow gratin or baking dish (about 6 inches in diameter). Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; set a steamer basket over it.
Beat the remaining warm white sauce thoroughly until smooth, and add just enough of the broth and sherry to thin it to the consistency of a thick soup.
Use a vegetable peeler to shave off the outer skin of the broccolini stems. Cut each whole branch into thirds. Place the stem pieces in the steamer basket; cover and steam for 2 minutes, then add the florets, cover and steam for 2 minutes. The broccolini should still be somewhat firm.
Spread the steamed broccolini pieces on the bottom of the gratin dish. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of the warm white sauce mixture and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the Parmesan cheese. Lay the chicken pieces on top and tuck in a few extra scraps, if you have them, around the edge. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then spread the remaining white sauce over the chicken to cover. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven. Position the top oven rack 4 to 5 inches from the broiler element and preheat the broiler. Place the baking dish under the broiler just long enough to brown the top nicely. Serve hot.
Recipe Source:
From cookbook editor and author Judith Jones.
E-mail the Food Section with recipe questions.
(Renee Comet)
