Chicken au Poivre
This chicken au poivre recipe pairs golden pan-seared chicken with a creamy Cognac peppercorn sauce, delivering the same peppery, glossy bistro flavor as the classic steakhouse dish in just 35 minutes with one skillet.
Equipment
- Stainless steel skillet or heavy sauté pan - Wide pan for searing chicken and building fond
- Meat mallet or heavy rolling pin - For pounding chicken breasts to even thickness
- Instant-read meat thermometer - To check chicken internal temperature
- Fine-mesh strainer - (optional) For a smoother sauce
- Kitchen tongs - For turning and basting the chicken
- Splatter screen - (optional) To keep searing stage tidy
- Mortar and pestle - (optional) For coarsely cracking peppercorns
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts - about 1.5 lb or 680g total, pounded to an even 1/2-inch or 1.3cm thickness
- 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns - 14g, coarsely cracked, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - 30ml
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter - 14g
For the peppercorn sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter - 28g
- 2 medium shallots - finely minced, about 1/3 cup or 50g
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1/3 cup Cognac or brandy - 80ml
- 1 cup beef stock - 240ml, or low-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream - 180ml
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard - 15g
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- flaky salt - to taste, such as Maldon
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley - chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Pound each chicken breast between plastic wrap to an even 1/2-inch (1.3cm) thickness, pat completely dry, season both sides with kosher salt, and press most of the cracked peppercorns firmly into both sides, reserving about 1 teaspoon for the sauce.
- Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-high until butter foams and oil shimmers, then sear chicken in a single layer for 4 to 5 minutes per side until deep golden and internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C). Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
- Lower heat to medium and add 2 tablespoons butter to the same skillet, then cook minced shallots for 2 minutes until softened and translucent before stirring in garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pull the skillet off the heat, pour in Cognac or brandy, return to heat, and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to lift all the browned fond, letting it simmer for about 1 minute until slightly reduced and the sharp alcohol smell cooks off.
- Pour in beef stock and bring to a simmer, reducing by about half over 3 to 4 minutes, then stir in heavy cream, Dijon mustard, thyme sprigs, and reserved cracked peppercorns, simmering gently for 4 to 5 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Remove thyme sprigs, return chicken and any resting juices to the skillet, spoon sauce over the chicken and let everything warm together for 2 minutes while basting the tops, then scatter chopped parsley over the top and serve immediately.
Notes
- Crack, don't grind: Coarse peppercorns give texture and bloom; fine pepper turns the sauce muddy and harsh. Use a mortar and pestle or the bottom of a heavy pan to crack whole peppercorns into coarse, uneven pieces.
- Dry the chicken well: A dry surface is what lets the pepper crust brown instead of steam, so pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels before seasoning.
- Don't crowd the pan: Sear the chicken in batches if needed to keep the heat high enough to build fond, which is the flavor engine of the sauce.
- Deglaze off the heat: Adding Cognac away from the flame is safer and gives you a controlled simmer.
- Watch the cream: A gentle simmer keeps the sauce glossy, while a hard boil can cause it to break. If it starts to split, pull it off the heat and whisk in a splash of cold cream.
- Rest the chicken: Pulling it at 160°F (71°C) and letting it finish in the sauce prevents dry, overcooked breasts.
- Beef stock over chicken broth: Beef stock gives the sauce a deeper, steakhouse backbone than chicken broth, so keep a carton on hand just for this dish.
- Make-ahead: You can sear the chicken and build the sauce a few hours in advance, then reheat and combine just before serving. Store chicken and sauce together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Warm slowly over low heat on the stovetop, adding a splash of stock or cream to loosen the sauce back to silky. Avoid the microwave, which can toughen the chicken and split the sauce.
- Substitutions: Brandy works exactly like Cognac. For a non-alcoholic version, replace Cognac with extra stock plus a teaspoon of sherry vinegar or lemon juice. Use half-and-half in place of heavy cream for a lighter sauce.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ServingCalories: 540kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 41gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 180mgSodium: 620mgPotassium: 550mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 20IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 10mg
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