Green peppercorn sauce is a French pan sauce built around whole or crushed green peppercorns, the unripe berries of the pepper vine, prized for their fresher, more herbaceous heat than dried black pepper. Known in French as sauce au poivre vert, it is classically served with steak, though it also suits chicken and fish.
To make it, green peppercorns are sautéed briefly in butter to mellow their bite, followed by shallots cooked until translucent. White wine or brandy deglazes the pan, and the sauce is finished with cream or crème fraîche, sometimes with parsley or tarragon, Dijon mustard, or lemon juice for brightness.
The sauce's richness plays well against grilled steak, roasted chicken, or seared salmon. Southeast Asian dishes built on green peppercorns, such as Thai and Cambodian stir-fries and curries, take a different path, pairing the berries with coconut milk and fish sauce rather than cream.