Trim the chicken breasts, and if very thick on one end, gently pound the chicken to get somewhat uniform thickness. Dry the chicken with paper towels and set on a cutting board. In a small skillet, toast the pink peppercorns over medium heat until fragrant – about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool in a small bowl.

Once the peppercorns are cool, grind them in a spice grinder, mortar and pestle or crush them in a zip lock bag with a glass or pot. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with the pink peppercorns and salt.

Put the chicken on a rack over a sheet tray and place in the refrigerator uncovered while you begin the sauce (see blog content above for more info on why we do this).

Heat a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the shallots and ½ teaspoon of the salt to the saucepan. Sauté the shallots for several minutes until they are translucent and soft, without browning them.

Add the wine, peppercorns, tarragon sprigs, bay leaf, and golden berries. Cook on medium heat until there is just about 1 tablespoon of liquid left in the pan. Add 1 cup of the chicken stock and reduce the heat a little (it should be gently simmering not hard boiling). Again, reduce the stock until there is about 1 tablespoon of liquid, this will take about 25 minutes.

Once reduced, add the remaining stock and stir. Strain the mixture, gently pressing the solids to extract all liquid. Return the liquid to the pan and discard the solids.

Continue to reduce until there is about ¼ cup of liquid and then add the cream and remaining ½ teaspoon of salt. Reduce until the cream is thickened into a thicker sauce consistency and the flavors intensify. The entire sauce cooking process should take about an hour. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. Keep warm, covered, until the chicken is done. The sauce can be gently reheated if it cools too much.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 10 minutes prior to beginning to cook it. Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat, add the butter until it melts. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes per side or until the chicken browns. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Turn the chicken a few times during the process until it is done – about 6-8 more minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken should be 165°F. Remove the chicken to a cutting board cover loosely with foil and let rest for about 3-5 minutes. Slice the chicken and serve with the sauce and garnishes.