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READY IN 1½ hrs

Roast Chicken with Cracked Peppercorn Sauce

Read Reviews (22)

"A whole chicken is roasted, and served with a creamy peppercorn sauce. Use the bottom of a heavy skillet to crack whole peppercorns, or you may find cracked ones at the supermarket." — Denise

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Original recipe makes 4 servings Change Servings

1 (4 pound) whole chicken
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dry vermouth
4 shallots, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup whipping cream, heated until steaming
1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns

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Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove giblets from chicken, and season inside and out with salt and pepper. Place chicken into a roasting pan with vermouth, shallots and garlic.
Cover the roasting pan, and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or 20 minutes per pound.
Strain liquid from the roasting pan into a saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat until reduced to about 1/2 cup. Stir in heated cream, and cracked peppercorns. Cook on medium-low heat for 5 minutes until thick, but do not boil. Carve chicken, and serve with sauce.

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PREP 10 mins
COOK 1 hr 20 mins
READY IN 1 hr 30 mins

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This was delicious! As always, I adjusted the recipe according to what was in the cupboards, i.e. white wine instead of vermouth, small onion inteaad of shallots, double cream not whipping cream. but it made an average roast dinner that much more special. I also roasted the vegetables in the same dish as the chicken; the carrots tasted wonderful! I would probably increase the amounts of the sauce if I was making it again, it was so delicious 2 of us had no problem finishing it all off! (recipe for 4 people!) Thank you Denise.

—mmsparkle

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Dec 21, 2007

This recipe did not work for me. The chicken itself was wonderfuly moist and tender, but the sauce was horrible. I was excited to try a peppercorn sauce but it just didn't work. I'll have to try another recipe for the sauce.

—What a Dish!

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24 Ratings

Jan 31, 2007

I used chicken broth and a little red cooking wine instead of vermouth ( I just do not keep alcohol on hand). I also seasoned the chicken with a teaspoon each of poultry seasoning, dried rosemary, and dried parsley. The chicken turned out scrumptious. THE CRACKED PEPPERCORN SAUCE IS AWESOME! I had it over mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus.

—dcraft

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Jan 28, 2004

I wanted something simple to make and this was it!! Not only was it easy, it was absolutely delicious as well. Since I didn't have vermouth on hand, I sustituted sherry, which wasn't half bad. I will definately prepare this again and again and again...

—Beth

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Mar 16, 2009

I love to roast chicken and have tried many different recipes and this ranks at the top! It was SO GOOD! The sauce was outstanding! I served it with smashed potatoes. My husband couldn't stop! I cooked it in a roasting pan with a tight fitting lid. I think this is much better than foil as it really seals in the moisture. I had PLENTY of drippings left for the gravey. It WAS very salty so next time I will rub the chicken with a very small amount of salt and I think that will fix it. Also, instead of heavy cream I used fat-free milk. I heated one cup in the microwave until it was steaming (watch it closely). I then immediately whisked in about five tbsp flour one at a time and then added this to the reduced drippings. I got a very smooth gravy which was not too rich. You're not going to get the thickness this way that you would with heavy cream but it wasn't watery and tasted great and certainly was much more healthy. I will absolutely make this again. GREAT RECIPE!

—Tess

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Dec 14, 2008

This was a great recipe. I tweaked a bit, substituting white wine for the vermouth and milk thickened with flour for the cream. I also added a bit of herbs de provence to the chicken. The peppercorn sauce was a delicious little gravy, I wish there was more of it! There will be next time I make this, and there definitely will be a next time. I served it with mashed potatoes and peas and some tasty dinner rolls.

—wdhpwyst

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Mar 06, 2008

This turned out to be very good, but with very subtle flavor, not a big flavor. I used the usual substitutes: chardonnay wine for Vermouth, and onions for shallots. After about an hour in the oven, it was a pale chicken with A LOT of watery juice, so I poured most into a saucepan and boiled it down, while continuing to roast the chicken. It did brown up nicely. I only used a teaspoon of peppercorns, worried that they would turn off certain picky eaters in my family. I dissolved a teaspoon of flour into half and half before adding to juice -- it thickened up like gravy, which was very good.

—Karennina

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Sep 14, 2005

Well... I don't know what to say, other than I think this recipe has some potential. Vermouth must be salty, because this dish was VERY salty and VERY peppery with 1 Tablespoon of cracked peppercorns (and yes I did crack my own peppercorns). I didn't hate this, but didn't love it. The chicken was moist. I give it 2 stars because I probably won't make it again, but it was edible. Sorry, I really had high hopes for this recipe, it sounded so good.

—Luv2cook

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Nutrition

Calories
785 kcal
39%

Carbohydrates
19.3 g
6%

Cholesterol
205 mg
68%

Fat
51.5 g
79%

Fiber
0.7 g
3%

Protein
44.6 g
89%

Sodium
148 mg
6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Roast Chicken with Cracked Peppercorn Sauce

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 785
Calories from Fat: 463

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 51.5g 79 %
Saturated Fat 21.7g 108 %
Cholesterol 205mg 68 %
Sodium 148mg 6 %
Potassium 569mg 16 %
Total Carbohydrates 19.3g 6 %
Dietary Fiber 0.7g 3 %
Protein 44.6g 89 %
Sugars 6.3g
Vitamin A 34 %
Vitamin C 8 %
Calcium 11 %
Iron 33 %
** Thiamin 19 %
Niacin 136 %
Vitamin B6 37 %
Magnesium 19 %
Folate 15 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.