Roast Chicken Breast in a Creamy Mixed Peppercorn Sauce

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 perfecty 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.

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 form 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 are wanting 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 With Peppercorn Sauce Step-by-Step Photos

1. Heat a large frying pan over high heat, add the oil and butter once melted, brown the seasoned chicken crown on all sides. Once browned transfer the chicken to a preheated oven at 180°C or 350°F and cook it for 35-45 minutes.
   
2. While the chicken is in the oven, crush the green, black and white peppercorns in a pestle and mortar.
   
3. Remove the chicken from the oven and set the crown to rest. Heat the frying pan over medium-high heat, add the diced shallots, and cook for 2 minutes.
   
4. Add the brandy and reduce by half.
   
5. Add the chicken stock, cream and the mixed peppercorns, and simmer until the sauce is thickened.
   
6. Cut the chicken from the crown, carve it as desired and serve with the sauce and sides you choose.