Description
JB’s Chicken au Poivre features tender seared chicken breasts served with a rich, creamy peppercorn sauce made from brandy, beef stock, and heavy cream. This classic French-inspired dish balances bold peppery flavors with a velvety smooth sauce, perfect for an elegant yet easy weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 large chicken breasts, skinless & boneless (250–300g / 8–10oz each)
- 3/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or any other neutral flavoured oil
Sauce
- 2 tsp whole black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
- 1/3 cup brandy or cognac (or masala)
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium beef stock / broth
- 3/4 cup thickened / heavy cream or any other full fat cream
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally to create 4 thin steaks. Sprinkle both sides evenly with salt. Note that the chicken is not seasoned with pepper here to prevent the dish from becoming too peppery once combined with the sauce.
- Sear the chicken: Heat the vegetable oil in a large 28cm (11″) pan over high heat. Add the chicken steaks and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side until they develop a golden crust. Remove chicken to a plate and let rest uncovered. The chicken will finish cooking in the sauce later.
- Deglaze with brandy: TURN OFF the stove to avoid flaring. Carefully pour in the brandy or cognac; it will sizzle vigorously. Let it bubble for 20-30 seconds to burn off alcohol and reduce by about two-thirds. Scrape and deglaze the fond (the browned bits) at the bottom of the pan thoroughly to capture all the flavor. You may turn the heat on gently if needed to help reduction.
- Add and reduce beef stock: Turn the heat back to high and pour in the beef stock. Let it simmer rapidly for 4 minutes until reduced by half, intensifying the sauce’s flavor.
- Incorporate cream and pepper: Stir in the heavy cream and coarsely crushed black peppercorns. Lower the heat to medium-high and simmer the sauce for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the sides of the pan as the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Adjust timing as needed depending on stove strength.
- Finish cooking the chicken: Reduce heat to medium. Return the chicken along with any resting juices back into the pan. Cook for 2–3 minutes while spooning the thickened sauce over the chicken to warm through. The sauce should darken slightly and thicken more, flowing slowly when the spoon is dragged through.
- Serve immediately: Serve the chicken au poivre straight away to enjoy the sauce at its best. If it sits, the sauce thickens excessively and the chicken may overcook.
Notes
- Do not season the chicken with black pepper before searing to avoid an overpoweringly peppery flavor in the finished dish.
- Use coarsely crushed black peppercorns for texture and authentic flavor.
- Turn off the stove when adding brandy to prevent flames unless you want to flambé.
- Heavy cream can be substituted by any other full-fat cream if needed.
- The sauce may take longer to reduce on gentler stoves—just allow extra time.
- If sauce thickens too much at the end, add a splash of cream or water to loosen it.
