The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Sixties Cookbook (19 page)

CHICKEN DIVAN

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Casseroles, those one-dish wonders of the kitchen, reached their peak in the early Sixties. With more and more women entering the work force, how to cook a fast meal was a hot topic. Very often, a can of soup substituted for homemade sauce, a practice that is fine on occasion (like for Souped-Up Swedish Meatballs,
page 89
), but shouldn’t become a way of life. One of the most frequent victims of favorites made easier (but certainly not better) was chicken Divan, a lovely dish of sauced chicken over broccoli that made the New York restaurant Divan Parisienne justly famous. Here’s the original from-scratch recipe.

3 chicken breast halves with skin and bones (about 13 ounces each)

1¾ cups canned reduced-sodium chicken broth

½ small yellow onion

1 pinch of dried thyme

12 ounces broccoli crowns, cut into florets (about 4 cups)

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, divided, plus more for the baking dish

⅓ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup heavy cream

4 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1.
Place the chicken, broth, and onion in a large saucepan and add enough cold water to cover the chicken by 1 inch. Bring to a simmer over high heat, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Add the thyme. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the chicken shows no sign of pink when pierced at the thickest part near a bone, about 40 minutes.

2.
Transfer the chicken to a carving board and let cool until easy to handle. Remove the skin and bones, and pull the chicken meat into bite-sized pieces. Pour the broth into a bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Skim off the fat from the surface. Measure 2½ cups chicken broth; reserve the remaining broth for another use.

3.
Lightly butter a 13-by-9-inch flameproof baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain again. Pat completely dry with clean kitchen towels. Spread the broccoli in the baking dish. Top with the chicken.

4.
Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in the flour. Let bubble without browning for 1 minute. Whisk in the measured broth and cream. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking often. Return the heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking often, until lightly thickened, about 3 minutes.

5.
Whisk the yolks in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the hot sauce. Return to the saucepan and add the sherry, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk over medium-low heat until thickened, without letting the sauce come to a simmer, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken and broccoli. (The chicken Divan can be prepared, ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated, up to 4 hours ahead.)

6.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top, then dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden, about 20 minutes (or 25 minutes if previously refrigerated). Let stand a few minutes, then serve hot.

KITCHEN TIME MACHINE

Spread 1 (10-ounce) package thawed frozen broccoli spears in a 9-inch pie plate. Top with 2 cups chopped cooked chicken. Mix 1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of chicken soup with ⅓ cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, and pour over the chicken. Mix 2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle on top. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven until bubbling, about 20 minutes.

CHICKEN BREASTS KIEV

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Even the most
chi-chi
Sixties restaurants passed out bibs with their chicken Kiev—a dish of deep-fried chicken breasts filled with herb butter that tended to squirt like a geyser if you knifed it just so. There are recipes for baked Kiev, but a leisurely bath in hot oil is the only way to give the chicken its gorgeous crunchy coating. We recommend baked chicken Kiev with the same enthusiasm that we recommend Tang over fresh orange juice.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 teaspoons minced fresh chives

2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves (about 8 ounces each)

3 large eggs

½ cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup dried bread crumbs

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Lemon wedges, for serving

1.
Mix the butter, chives, tarragon, lemon zest, and garlic together in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate just until firm enough to shape, about 30 minutes. Shape the butter mixture into 6 finger-sized portions. Place on a waxed paper–lined plate and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes more.

2.
One at a time, place a chicken breast half between two sheets of plastic wrap. Pound with the flat side of a meat pounder (or a rolling pin) until the flesh is pounded into a fan shape about 5 inches wide, 6 inches long, and ½ inch thick. Place a butter “finger” in the bottom third of the pounded chicken. Fold in the sides, then roll up from the bottom to from a packet and entirely enclose the butter. The flesh should stick to itself, but if necessary, close up the packet with a wooden toothpick.

3.
Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl with a pinch of salt. Mix the flour in another shallow bowl with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spread the bread crumbs in a third shallow bowl. One at a time, roll a chicken packet in the egg mixture, then the flour mixture, then the bread crumbs to coat. Place on the baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to get the coating.

4.
Choose a large, wide saucepan big enough to hold the breasts without crowding. Pour enough oil to come 3 inches up the side of the pan and heat over high heat to 350°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil and cook adjusting the heat as needed to keep the breasts steadily cooking but not too quickly, until the crust is deep golden brown, about 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a wire cake rack set over a rimmed baking sheet to drain briefly.

5.
Transfer each piece to a dinner plate, add the lemon wedges, and serve hot.

CHICKEN À LA KING

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

This is another old favorite (dating back to the late 1800s) that was newly discovered by housewives who reinvented it with canned soup. The from-scratch version is very good, and deserves to be rediscovered again. In spite of its royal name, it is an easy weeknight dish, and while you could prepare chicken breast and broth as described in the Chicken Divan on
page 102
, here is a version that uses today’s store-bought rotisserie chicken. Or use leftover chicken or turkey, if you have some. And while many folks serve it over noodles or rice, we love it with biscuits.

¼ cup unsalted butter, divided

½ cup (½-inch) diced red bell pepper

10 ounces white mushrooms, sliced

¼ cup chopped shallots

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1⅔ cups canned reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 cup half-and-half

⅓ cup dry sherry

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 cups (15 ounces) bite-sized cooked chicken (from 1 large rotisserie chicken)

½ cup thawed frozen baby peas (optional)

6 Homemade Biscuits (
page 139
), split

1.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the red pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are sizzling in their own juices, about 5 minutes. Stir in the shallots and cook until they soften, about 1 minute.

2.
Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and let it melt. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Add the broth,
half-and-half, and sherry and stir well. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring often, until the sauce is lightly thickened and no raw flour taste remains, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3.
Stir in the chicken and peas, if using, and cook just until heated through, about 3 minutes. To serve, place a biscuit half on each of 6 dinner plates. Divide the chicken mixture equally over the biscuit halves, and add a biscuit top to each. Serve hot.

KITCHEN TIME MACHINE

To make the classic can-of-soup version, whisk 1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, 1 (10.75-ounce) can cream of chicken soup, and 2 cups whole milk in a large skillet over medium heat until simmering. Add 3 cups bite-sized pieces cooked chicken, 1 (4-ounce) jar drained chopped pimentos, and 1 cup thawed frozen baby peas. Cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve hot, over cooked egg noodles.