Chicken au Poivre (Creamy Pepper Chicken)
Chicken au Poivre swaps budget-friendly chicken for steak in this delicious dish that combines peppercorn-coated chicken with a cognac cream sauce.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 teaspoons Diamond crystal kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns coarsely crushed, see notes below
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 medium shallots minced
- 1/3 cup cognac or brandy
- 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter cold
- 2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
Instructions
- Heat a large stainless steel or cast iron pan to medium heat.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with kosher salt on both sides. Sprinkle the coarse peppercorns onto one side of the chicken and press the peppercorns into the chicken.
- Add the oil to the hot pan and once shimmering add the chicken, non-peppered side down. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until well browned then flip and cook for about 2-3 minutes on the pepper side of the chicken. Place the seared chicken on a plate and tent with foil.
- Pour off the excess fat from the pan, leaving until 3 tablespoons, and add the shallot and a pinch of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cognac. Place the pan back on the heat and turn the heat to high, scraping the bottom of a pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge the brown bits. Cook until the cognac is almost evaporated.
- Add the chicken stock and reduce by half. Turn the heat down to medium and add the cream. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until the sauce almost coats the back of a spoon.
- Add the chicken and any accumulated juices, pepper side up back to the sauce and simmer for 3-4 minutes of until warmed through. You can spoon some of the sauce on top of the chicken, but not too much so as not remove the pepper.
- Taste test and season with salt and if needed more coarse black pepper. Turn off the heat and whisk in the butter, one cube at a time. Sprinkle the parsley. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, egg noodle or with crusty bread on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken breasts instead. For chicken breasts, slice in half and pound to equal thickness (about 1/2" thick) and season with salt on both sides. Press the pepper onto one side of the chicken and sear for roughly 4 minutes on the non-peppered side then flip and sear for another 2-3 minutes. Cook the chicken to 155-160°F internal temperature then remove to a plate tented with foil. Continue the recipe from step 4 above.
- Peppercorns. Crushing the peppercorns can be accomplished a few ways. Place in a clean kitchen towel and smash with a meat mallet, or pulse a few times in a coffee grinder. A mortar and pestle works too.
- Leftovers. Chicken au poivre is best eaten right away instead of for leftovers.
Nutrition
Calories: 732kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.1g | Protein: 45.5g | Fat: 57.8g | Saturated Fat: 19.4g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 630mg | Sugar: 0.1g | Calcium: 46mg
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