Peppercorn Chicken with Mash and Broccolini

Tender chicken pieces in a creamy green peppercorn sauce, served over buttery mashed potatoes with broccolini on the side. Simple, comforting, and exactly the kind of dinner that feels generous without being complicated.

Some dinners do not need much explaining. They only need to arrive at the table warm, comforting, and full of the sort of flavour everyone recognises straight away.

Peppercorn chicken has that kind of ease about it. Golden chicken, a silky cream sauce, soft mash underneath, and greens on the side to round everything out. Familiar, satisfying, and a little bit special without becoming fussy. Served over mashed potato, the sauce has somewhere to settle and the broccolini keeps everything fresh and balanced. The kind of meal that works just as well for a quiet family dinner as it does at the end of a long day when you want something reliable and genuinely good.

Prep: 20 min · Cook: 25 min · Serves: 4 · Category: Dinner

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 2 large chicken breasts
• salt
• black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder, optional
• 2 to 3 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter

For the peppercorn sauce

• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 small garlic clove, finely crushed
• 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp green peppercorns, drained if in brine
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 3/4 cup thickened cream
• salt, to taste

For the mash

• 1 kg potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 60 g butter
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup warm milk
• salt, to taste

For the broccolini

• 2 bunches broccolini
• a little butter or olive oil
• salt
• black pepper

Method

1. Slice each chicken breast horizontally into thin pieces, almost like schnitzel style cutlets.
2. Season the chicken with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder if using. Dust lightly with plain flour, shaking off the excess.
3. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook until very tender. Drain well, then mash with the butter and enough warm milk to reach your preferred consistency. Season with salt and keep warm.
4. Steam or blanch the broccolini until just tender. Drain well, then toss with a little butter or olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
5. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until golden and cooked through. Work in batches if needed. Transfer to a plate.
6. In the same pan, lower the heat slightly and add the butter for the sauce. Add the garlic and green peppercorns and cook gently for about 30 seconds.
7. Pour in the chicken stock and scrape up anything from the base of the pan. Let it bubble for 2 to 3 minutes to reduce slightly.
8. Add the thickened cream and stir well. Simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
9. Taste the sauce and add salt if needed. Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over the top for 1 to 2 minutes, just until warmed through.
10. Spoon the mash onto plates, top with the chicken and peppercorn sauce, and serve with broccolini on the side.

Notes

If your green peppercorns are in brine, drain them before using.

Lightly crush a few of the peppercorns in the pan if you want a stronger peppercorn flavour through the sauce.

Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer once the cream is added so it stays smooth.

If the sauce thickens too much, loosen it with a splash of stock or cream.

Thin chicken pieces cook quickly, so keep an eye on them and do not let them dry out.

Warm milk makes a smoother mash and helps keep the potatoes soft and fluffy.

The Grace Table Tip

Serve the chicken over the mash rather than beside it so the sauce has somewhere to settle. It turns a simple dinner into something that feels much more generous at the table.