Chicken au Poivre (Adapted from Kay Chun, NYT Cooking)

Ingredients:

Place peppercorns in a small resealable bag. Using a mallet or the bottom of a saucepan, gently crush the peppercorns until coarsely cracked. (Alternatively, you can use the course Tellicherry pepper from The Spice House.) Set aside.

In a 12-inch cast-iron or other heavy skillet, heat oil over medium. Season chicken with salt. Sear chicken until light golden all over, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Pour off any remaining oil in the skillet.

Add butter and shallot to the skillet and cook, stirring, until butter is melted and shallot is softened, 1-2 minutes. Add broth, heavy cream, and cracked peppercorns. Mix well, stirring to lift up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

Add chicken (and any accumulated juices), bring to a simmer and cook, turning and basting occasionally with the sauce, until cooked through so an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165° (6 to 8 minutes).

Add cognac to the skillet and stir until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt if needed.

Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve with crusty bread or egg noodles, if desired.