Chicken in a creamy peppercorn sauce featuring perfectly roasted breast on the crown served with creamy brandy sauce and fresh ground pepper.
This sauce is most commonly served with steak, but it works wonderfully with chicken. The sauce gets made whilst the bird is resting, and the whole thing comes together in around an hour.
Chicken au Poivre
Chicken breast gets a bit of a rough ride in some culinary circles, sure it doesn't boast quite as much flavour as dark meat, and it is pretty costly.
But it is a very lean cut of meat that tastes perfectly good so long as you look after it.
It's also a pretty neutral "canvas" to add flavour, and you can go in many directions.
I've got recipes that range from gochujang steamed chicken breast and chicken breast in a spicy tomato sauce to chicken breast in cider and mustard, chicken florentine and chicken veronique.
My latest offering is chicken breast in a creamy peppercorn and brandy sauce, a sauce that is much more well-known as an accompaniment to steak.
But I think it works wonderfully with chicken, especially if you trade out the classic beef stock for some good quality chicken stock.
I love pink peppercorns in my "poivre" sauce, their almost floral fragrance floats my boat. As a result, they are the star in this recipe, but they do get a bit of support from a combination of green, white and black pepper.
As for the chicken, it is roasted on the bone in the form of a crown of chicken, which helps keep it juicy and moist... all you need to do is decide which veggies to put on the side and you have a simple "roast" for two people with a banging sauce!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use a meat thermometer?
No, but if you want your chicken to be absolutely perfect every time, then a meat thermometer is the way to go.
Do I have to add the brandy?
No, but it adds a huge amount of flavour to the sauce; other types of alcohol work well too.
You could use sherry (sweet or dry), dry vermouth, white wine or even whisky. They will all give a different flavour to the sauce, but all of them will be delicious.
If you don't want to add alcohol, you can increase the amount of stock to around 100ml (⅓ Cup plus 1-2 tablespoons) and skip the reduction phase. If you are doing this, add a tablespoon or two of sherry or white wine vinegar to add some acidity.
Why do you use different types of pepper?
It's all about balancing flavour and heat pink peppercorns are the main flavour driver in this recipe. They are not really hot at all; they provide a sweet, fruity, almost floral flavour to the sauce.
Black peppercorns are hot, pungent and offer an almost "malty flavour"; the white and green peppercorns bridge the gap between the black and pink peppercorns.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken with peppercorn sauce sits perfectly at the heart of an old-school "meat and two veg" dinner.
The two veg of choice in these pictures are my wonderful crushed roasted new potatoes and some roasted tenderstem broccoli. Hey, we have the oven on and it would be rude not to use it, right?
If you want something a little more indulgent, mash works wonderfully with this recipe! Whilst mashed potato is magic, spread the love a little, nutty celeriac mash or the sweeter vibe of swede and carrot mash both work really well with peppercorn sauce.
When it comes to greens, I would recommend the bitter tones of my braised white chicory. It offers a perfect contrast to the sweeter flavours in the sauce.
In a similar "but different" way, buttered cabbage offers a delicious contrast to the fragrant, sweet sauce.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- Oven.
- 28cm or 11" oven-proof frying pan.
- Kitchen tongs.
- Quick-read meat thermometer.
- Whisk or spoon.
- A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
Roast Chicken in Peppercorn Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Medium Chicken Crown From a 1.5kg chicken
- 1 tablespoon Butter
- 1 teaspoon Cooking Oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
For the Peppercorn Sauce:
- 1 Medium Shallot 35g
- 75 ml Brandy or Cognac ⅓ Cup
- 75 ml Chicken Stock ⅓ Cup
- 125 ml Double Cream ½ Cup
- 36 Mixed Peppercorns I use 18 Green, 12 White and 6 Black
- 2-3 teaspoon Pink Peppercorns
Instructions
- Heat a 28cm or 11" oven-proof frying pan over a medium-high heat and when it is hot add the oil followed by the butter.
- Once the butter begins to foam, season the chicken with the salt and then sear the skin of the chicken well. This will take around 5 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a preheated oven at 180°C or 350°F and cook it for 35-45 minutes, or until the thickest part of the breast reaches 68°C or 155°F. Remove the chicken and set it aside to rest for 10 minutes whilst you make the sauce. The chicken will continue to increase in temperature and reach the safe zone of 73°C or 165°F during this resting time.
- Whilst the chicken is cooking, cut the shallot in half, peel it and then dice it as finely as you can.
- Crush the green, white and black peppercorns in a pestle and mortar.
- Return the chicken roasting pan to a medium-high heat, and when it is hot, add the diced shallot and saute for a minute or 2.
- Pour in the brandy and reduce it by half, then pour in the chicken stock and cream, then sprinkle in the crushed pepper and pink peppercorns.
- Reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the sauce has thickened and the chicken has rested. Just before you serve mix any chicken resting juices through the sauce.
- Cut the chicken from the crown, carve it as desired and serve with the sauce and sides of your choice.
