Chicken Divan was one of the mid-century dishes that my imagination went wild over. I mean what complicated swankiness must a dish called chicken Divan be with a name like that. It oozed elegance when the name left your mouth. So I was super surprised when I finally found out the dish is really just a casserole and a pretty easy one to make at that.

Who and where was the recipe created?

For the most part, this is a simple question to answer. Despite the name, chicken Divan is not a classic French dish. Rather it was created at the Divan Parisien Restaurant at the Chatham Hotel in New York City which also has been credited with introducing Americans to broccoli. There is just no exact date when the dish was actually created as some sources say in the 1930s while others say the 1940s.

What ingredients are in Chicken Divan?

The original recipe is not known as the chef at Divan stubbornly refused to tell the exact recipe. As a result, there are many different attempts of recipes trying to replicate the dish. The basic recipe is chicken breast served over broccoli with a sauce that is topped with Parmesan cheese and then broiled in the oven. Some say the recipe uses both bechamel and hollandaise sauce while others just use a white sauce with sherry sometimes added. Also because this was the 1950s, you can find recipes that use the convenience products of the day such as canned chicken, packaged hollandaise sauce, and canned soup.

When was Chicken Divan popular?

It was HUGE in the 1950s as it was a favorite party dish and was considered quite swanky. A 1952 article states the reason why as “the dish makes an attractive appearance on the table. And it contains both meat and vegetable with sauce which is an important consideration when seeing a buffet meal.” In a 1950s article on the finest dining in New York City it was written that “if you like chicken, you’ll relish the chicken Divan served by the Divan Parisien”. A newspaper held a contest to find the best chicken recipes in 1955. What recipe won? Of course a recipe for chicken Divan. For the recipe, a reader named Mrs. Fletcher got a reward of $5.00.

By the 1960s, the popularity had waned considerably. A 1965 article remembers the dish as “it used to be that a dish like chicken Divan was something you went to a restaurant to order. Or else it might be served to important company or at a Sunday dinner or a celebration”. Though in 1969, President Nixon’s newly married daughter, Julie Eisenhower, made “the classic favorite” chicken Divan for him to celebrate his 56th birthday which according to the article was her “first dinner party and a rousing success”.

Why should I make this dish?
Well first off, the dish is chicken and broccoli slathered in a white sauce topped with delicious Parmesan cheese to create a dish that is oddly comforting for something that was served at fancy events. If you are planning a fifties dinner party, then I would give this dish a try. I was surprised how quickly and easily it comes together and still looks pretty with very little effort.

How do I make chicken Divan?

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Sources:

“Chicken ‘Divan Parisienne’ Wins First Prize for Mrs. Fletcher”. St. Petersburg Times, October 21, 1955.

“Chicken Divan Bride’s Treat At First Dinner for Nixon”. The Youngstown Vindacator. March 9, 1969.

“Elegant Dining With Ease is Secret of Chicken Divan: New Time Saving Recipe” Eugene Register-Guard. Feb. 25, 1965.

Lovegren, Sylvia. Fashionable Food: Seven Decades of Food Fads. New York: Macmillan General Reference, 1995.

Mariani, John F. The Encyclopedia American Food and Drink. New York: Bloomsbury USA, 2013.

Roozen A. Fred. “Gourmet in Gotham”. The Rotarian. May 1959.

Smith, Andrew F. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America: Volume One. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.