Chicken au Poivre

This playful and elegant take on French bistro classic steak au poivre features bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs that are pan-fried until golden then simmered in a peppery pan sauce until tender and juicy. Cognac is a vital flavour component in au poivre to create a rich, complex, and velvety pan sauce. If you don’t want to use alcohol, just use more chicken broth with a splash of Worcestershire sauce instead. Crème fraîche and Dijon mustard add a lush creaminess and tang that temper the heat of the peppercorns. If crème fraîche isn’t at hand, use full fat sour cream or heavy cream and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice or splash of sherry vinegar.


1 tbsp Whole black peppercorns 1-1.2 kg Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 medium thighs) Sea salt 1 tbsp Olive oil 3 tbsp Finely chopped shallot 3 Thyme sprigs 3 tbsp Cognac or brandy 240 ml Chicken stock 150 g Crème fraîche 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard Finely chopped fresh parsley

Place peppercorns in a small resealable bag. Using a mallet or the bottom of a saucepan, gently crush the peppercorns until coarsely cracked. Alternatively, use a mortar and pestle. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt. Place chicken skin side down in the skillet and sear until golden and crispy, about 8 minutes. Turn chicken skin side up and cook, undisturbed, until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion of chicken registers 75C/167F, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside, reserving drippings in skillet.
Add shallot, thyme sprigs, cracked black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to the drippings in skillet. Cook over medium, stirring often, until shallots are softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add Cognac and cook, stirring constantly to scrape up any browned bits on bottom of skillet, until Cognac is nearly evaporated, about 30 seconds.
Pour in chicken stock and bring to a simmer over medium. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Whisk in crème fraîche and Dijon mustard until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, whisking often, until sauce is thick enough to coat back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.
Return chicken thighs and any accumulated juices to the skillet, cook, basting occasionally with the sauce, until chicken is heated through. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

2 comments:

Brian's Home Blog 2/7/26 00:21: That's added to my Must Make list, boy that looks great!
Frank | Memorie di Angelina 2/7/26 00:57: What a clever way to revisit a classic. I can well imagine how tasty this is!