Cooking for a Crowd Recipes for Entertaining— Plated Dinner: Peppercorn Chicken

heavy cream

🥗Healthier: Greek yogurt

💰Cheaper: milk + cornstarch

Greek yogurt reduces calories while maintaining creaminess

chicken broth

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: water + bouillon cubes

Vegetable broth provides flavor while being plant-based.

Start by marinating the chicken breasts with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, honey, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and fresh thyme.

Mix the marinade to ensure the chicken is evenly coated and transfer it to a resealable bag, removing as much air as possible before refrigerating.

Let the chicken marinate for at least an hour or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.

Peel the sweet potatoes and place them in boiling water until fork tender.

Chop the tops off the dried figs and roughly chop them into bite-sized pieces.

In a pan over medium-high heat, melt half a stick of butter and add chopped onions, cooking until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the chopped figs and minced garlic to the pan and stir.

Pour in about 1.5 cups of chicken broth and bring to a simmer, allowing the figs to break down.

Season the sauce with hot sauce, kosher salt, and black pepper, then reduce the heat to let it simmer while preparing the chicken.

Grind fresh peppercorns using a mortar and pestle or a pepper grinder to a coarse consistency.

Season the marinated chicken breasts with the ground pepper on both sides before cooking.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add the chicken breasts, placing the presentation side down first.

Cook the chicken for about 2-3 minutes until a thin white line forms around the bottom, indicating it's ready to flip.

Flip the chicken and sear the other side until caramelized, then transfer the skillet to the oven for about 12-15 minutes to finish cooking.

Once the chicken is cooked, strain the sweet potatoes and return them to a warm pot.

Add butter, cream, black pepper, kosher salt, and grated garlic to the sweet potatoes and mash until creamy.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens