Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 airline cut chicken breasts, 8 oz. each (skin-on, boneless chicken breast with drumette)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Roasted Shallots
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large shallots, thinly sliced
Green Peppercorn Cream Sauce
- 1 cup red wine (we love Hess Select Cabernet for this)
- 2 tsp green peppercorns, crushed
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 stick of unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
Airline Chicken Breasts
Use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry (this will ensure a crispy skin). Liberally season with salt and pepper. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. At this time, pre-heat your oven to 350° F.
Add chicken breasts, skin side down. Cook until skin is golden brown and crisp.
Turn chicken over and let cook for 1 minute on the other side. Then, remove the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet (aka jelly roll pan) lined with foil.
Remove the sauté pan from heat, but be sure to reserve the brown bits (fond) at the bottom of the pan. These will be the key to making an amazing sauce.
Next, roast the chicken in a 350° F oven until it reaches an internal temperature of 165° F — approximately 12-15 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes.
Roasted Shallots
Place shallots, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a baking pan. Mix thoroughly.
Then, cover with foil and bake in the 350° F oven for 15 minutes or until slightly golden brown and tender.
Tip: You can save time by having the shallots and chicken breast go into the oven at the same time.
Green Peppercorn Cream Sauce
While the chicken is resting and shallots are done, make the cream sauce.
In the same sauté pan from earlier, deglaze the pan with the wine and place over medium heat. Pour a little glass for yourself (this is essential).
Using a good wooden spoon or spatula, gently loosen the fond off the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine until the pan is almost dry.
Then, add the green peppercorns and roasted shallots. Gently stir while adding the chicken stock. Reduce chicken stock to about ½ cup.
Add cream and cook while stirring constantly until your sauce begins to thicken.
Reduce heat to low and begin adding butter, a few tablespoons at a time, stirring constantly so that the butter melts but does not separate.
Finally, remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, stir in parsley.
To Serve
Slice airline chicken breasts into ½” thick pieces or simply leave whole. Place chicken on plate, then spoon sauce over top.
Tip: Serve over a bed of sautéed spinach or rainbow chard.