Chicken Divan with broccoli and creamy sauce

Season the chicken with 2 g salt and 0.5 g pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook for about 15 min, turning, until golden and at 75 °C in the centre for 30 s. Allow longer for thicker pieces. Cool for 10 min on a clean board, then slice across the grain about 6 mm thick. Retain the resting juices for the sauce.

Trim and wash the broccoli. Separate the florets and cut into roughly 2.5 cm pieces. Blanch in unsalted boiling water for about 3 min, just until barely tender. Drain, cool under cold water and drain thoroughly again. Preheat the oven to 190 °C and grease the baking dish with 14 g butter.

Melt the remaining 56 g butter in a saucepan. Stir in the flour for 1 min. Gradually whisk in the stock, milk and chicken resting juices. Cook while whisking for about 10 min to thicken and cook out the flour. Add the sherry, nutmeg, 25 g Parmesan, 3 g salt and 0.5 g pepper. Remove from the heat and cool slightly: keep the sauce fluid but no longer very hot.

Spread the broccoli in the greased dish and scatter over the remaining 25 g Parmesan. Cover with sliced chicken and almonds. Whip the cold cream to soft peaks and gently fold into the cooled sauce. Pour all the sauce over the dish. Bake for about 30 min until golden and bubbling in the centre. Divide all the components and sauce between servings.