Divine Chicken Sofa

Ingredients:

• 1 cooked chicken weighing 1.5 kg, discard skin and bones, cut meat into pieces (3 - 3.5 cups of meat)
• 70g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
• 1 large head broccoli, cut into 2-5cm florets, soft stems trimmed and cut into 1cm pieces (about 5 cups total)
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh sage
• 5 tbsp. flour
• 3 tbsp dry sherry (or chicken broth)
• 1 cup lightly salted chicken broth
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1.5 cups grated Gruyere (about 170 g)
• 0.5 cups toasted almonds, sliced ​​into petals or needles
• 0.5 tbsp. grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 200°C and grease a shallow 3-quart baking dish with butter.
2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green and tender (it should still be crisp as it will be roasted in the oven). Drain. Rinse the broccoli under cold water and pat dry.
3. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Once melted, add the sage and let it sizzle for a minute, then add the flour. Cook the roux (otherwise the mixture will taste like raw flour), stirring, for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to let it brown. Pour in the sherry (or stock) and cook until reduced, about 1 minute.
4. Stir in 1 cup broth, milk, heavy cream, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent lumps, until thickened, 6-7 minutes. Add the green onions and Gruyere and stir until the cheese melts, then remove from the heat.
5. In a large bowl, combine the sauce, broccoli, chicken, and almonds until evenly coated. Pour into the prepared pan. In a small bowl, microwave the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, then stir in the Parmesan and breadcrumbsSprinkle the mixture over the casserole. Bake until golden brown and the sauce is bubbling, about 35 minutes.