Chicken Au Poivre is a dish made with chicken, bacon, green pepper, and garlic. A rich brown sauce is based on a mother sauce of white wine, browned flour, and butter.
Cognac and heavy cream are added to the finished sauce over the poached cuts of chicken. Tradition is that this dish should be served with mashed potatoes or boiled rice.
What Is Au Poivre?
Au Poivre means ‘with peppercorns.’ In cooking, this refers to the preparation method for cooking a piece of meat.
The meat is seared and cooked in a wine sauce made with pepper, from coarsely ground black pepper to white and green peppercorns.
How To Make Chicken Au Poivre?
Ingredients
- Boneless chicken breasts – 3 pieces
- Green pepper – 1/2
- Butter – 50 g
- Pepper – to taste
- Cooking wine – 150 ml
- Salt and black pepper – to taste
Making Procedure
Step 1: Chicken Au Poivre can be made with a pressure cooker or a regular pot.
Step 2: Fry chicken pieces on both sides in a bit of butter until browned and remove from pan. Fry the bacon slices and green pepper for five minutes, remove from pan;
Step 3: De-glaze the bacon fat left in the pan by adding wine stirring to scrape up all the brown bits off of the bottom;
Step 4: Reduce heat to low. To the de-glazed pan, add the white wine and browned flour, stir and add a small amount of butter to make a roux;
Step 5: Slowly whisk in the heavy cream, continue cooking over medium heat until thickened;
Step 6: Reduce heat to maintain a low boil for ten minutes;
Step 7: Pass through a food mill or colander to remove any brown pieces, then cook over low heat for five more minutes to thicken. Season with salt and pepper as required.
Step 8: Place chicken breast into the sauce, add bacon and green pepper;
Step 9: Add hot cooking liquid over chicken. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice. Serve hot.
Nutritional Information (per serving):
| Nutrition | Amount |
|---|---|
| Servings | 1 |
| Calories | 562.8 kcal |
| Protein | 51.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 1.2 g (1%) |
| Fat | 38.5 g (68%) |
| Fiber | 0.0 g |
| Sodium | 17g |
6 Attractive Serving Ideas of Chicken Au Poivre
1. Boiled Rice with Chicken Au Poivre
Boil rice in salted water until tender and fluff up with a fork. Place cooked chicken, white sauce, and green pepper in individual bowls. Add boiled rice on the side.
2. Chicken Au Poivre with Potatoes
Pressure cook potatoes until tender. Add potatoes, white sauce, and green pepper in individual serving bowls. Add boiled rice on the side.
3. Mashed Potatoes with Chicken Au Poivre
Mash steamed or boiled potatoes with a dash of salt and butter. Place chicken, white sauce, and green pepper in individual serving bowls. Serve hot mashed potatoes on the side.
4. White Sauce with Chicken Au Poivre
Place chicken, white sauce, and green pepper in individual serving bowls. Serve a spoonful of white sauce on the side.
5. Chicken Au Poivre with Nan
Place chicken, white sauce, and green pepper in individual serving bowls. Place a large piece of nan on the side with butter and green chilies.
6. Chicken Au Poivre with Roti
Place chicken, white sauce, and green pepper in individual serving bowls. Serve hot roti on the side.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Chicken Au Poivre?
Chicken is considered one of the leanest protein sources. It has a good amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. It contains vitamins B6 and B12, which promote growth, and A and K, essential in cell formation.
Chicken is also a good source of niacin which helps convert food into energy. Cuts of chicken are rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant that boosts immunity, reduces inflammation, and prevents free radical damage causing diseases like cancer.
Chicken Au Poivre is rich in niacin and vitamin B12, which help produce red blood cells and help prevent anemia.
It is also rich in iron which helps to boost the efficiency of oxygen transport around the body. Chicken Au Poivre is full of selenium, a mineral that acts as an antioxidant and supports a healthy immune system.
Chicken Au Poivre is rich in protein essential for cellular growth, tissue repair, hormone, and enzyme production.
It is also a good source of calcium, and in addition to this, it contains phosphorus, zinc, and cholesterol, which are essential for bone formation.
Chicken Au Poivre is an excellent source of folate that may prevent neural tube defects in children. It also contains selenium, a mineral that helps maintain healthy skin, hair, and nails.
How Can Store Chicken Au Poivre?
Chicken Au Poivre can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for three days. Freezing cooked chicken should be done within two hours as it is susceptible to bacterial growth.
Uncooked chicken can be frozen for up to five months, while cooked chicken can be frozen in sealed containers for up to one month.
Can Kids Eat It?
Chicken Au Poivre is perfect for kids. This dish full of vitamins and nutrients helps develop strong bones and muscles.
Low in calories and fat, this chicken recipe is also rich in protein and can be a good source of selenium which is essential for reducing the risk of prostate cancer.
The Ending Line
Chicken Au Poivre is a famous French dish made with chicken and cream sauce. Traditionally, this dish is made with chicken breast but can also be made with other cuts of chicken or even chicken thighs.
This dish is cooked in a rich sauce of butter, white wine, and heavy cream. Any leftover sauce can be thickened further to make a sauce for mashed potatoes.
