RiverMead Heirloom Project Recipe Winner - April 2017

The RiverMead Heirloom Project: The Heirloom Project is a series of monthly recipes brought to the community (‘My Family to Yours’) from a Resident of RiverMead. The Residents have submitted recipes (and stories) from their family’s ‘recipe book’ to share with us and future generations. One recipe and family story behind the recipe was selected by a judging panel for each month of the upcoming year. The selected recipe will be featured on the menu at RiverMeads’ Main Dining Room with Chef Fournier building the balance of the menu around complimenting the chosen recipe.

The Story:

“I believe the recipe originated at a little restaurant in Upper East Side Manhattan. The version I used came from my father’s cookbook, The 1961 New York Times Cook Book by Craig Claiborne. If there was a gourmand in the family, it was my father. I remember him often attending Wine and Food Society dinners when I was growing up. This was a favorite recipe of mine to prepare for my family for family gatherings. For me, it was always a two day production, making the Joy of Cooking, hollandaise sauce the day before, poaching chicken breasts and steaming broccoli the next day. I have a granddaughter who doesn’t eat red meat or pork so she was always happy to eat this meal."

Chicken Divan Parisien

Serves 10 portions

Ingredients:

4 bunches cooked broccoli

Sliced boiled chicken

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup flour

1 pint scalded milk

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

1 jigger sherry wine

1/2 cup hollandaise sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Arrange a layer of broccoli on a large heatproof platter or in a casserole. Cover broccoli with chicken slices. Combine butter, flour and milk in a sauce pan over low heat and stir constantly until thickened. Add cream, Worcestershire, cheese and wine. Mix until blended. Add hollandaise; season to taste. Pour over chicken-broccoli layers and sprinkle with Parmesan. Brown under broiler. Dash sherry generously over all. Serve.