Poulet Au Poivre

Blanch raisins for 5 minutes. Drain them and marinate in cognac for at least 2 hours.

Season chicken with salt. Coarsely crack the peppercorns and press firmly onto the surface of the chicken. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a pan and when hot, add chicken. Brown chicken on both sides for 5 minutes each. Cover pan and continue the cooking in the oven at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes.

After chicken has cooked, remove it from the pan and discard the fat. Return the chicken to the pan and flambe it with the mixture of raisins and cognac, warmed first so it will flame easily.

Remove the chicken and place on serving dish, leaving the raisins in the pan. Add stock to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust for seasoning. Add the remaining 2 Tb. of butter to the pan and remove from heat. Stir just until the butter melts and turns the sauce shiny. Pour over chicken and serve with fresh noodles or pasta.