← Nouns Cooking · French

Ingredients

• 2 sirloin or fillet steaks, about 3 cm thick (250 g each)
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
• flaky salt
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 20 g Butter
• 1 Shallot, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp cognac or brandy
• 80 ml Beef stock
• 150 ml double (heavy) cream

Method

1. Pat the steaks dry, season with salt, and press the crushed pepper firmly into both sides.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over high heat until just smoking. Sear the steaks for about 3 min a side for medium-rare, adding the butter for the last minute and spooning it over. Move them to a warm plate to rest for 5 min.
3. Turn the heat down to medium and soften the shallot in the pan fat for 1–2 min.
4. Take the pan off the heat, add the cognac (it may flame, so stand back), then return it to the heat and let it bubble until almost gone. Add the stock and reduce by half for 2 min.
5. Pour in the cream and simmer for 2–3 min, until it coats the back of a spoon. Stir in the resting juices from the steaks, taste for salt and pour over the steaks. Serve with frites or a green salad.

Tips

• Crush the pepper in a mortar or under a heavy pan; fine ground pepper turns harsh and bitter.
• Use a thermometer for confidence: 52–55°C (125–130°F) in the centre is medium-rare. Check the stock is gluten-free if needed.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

olive magazine Falstaff