Cook’s comments about brandy and peppercorn sauce:
This recipe is best when it’s made in the same pan you grilled a steak in. The brandy picks up all the burnt bits of meat and seasoning, which adds awesome depth. If you back yourself to do it, use the same pan while your meat rests.
Quantities given are for 250 ml sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp madagascan green peppercorns
- 2 tbsp butter
- ¹⁄₂ medium red onion (super-finely chopped)
- 1¹⁄₂ tsp dijon mustard
- 80 ml brandy
- 250 ml cream
- 1 handful fresh chives (finely chopped, optional)
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
Method to make brandy and peppercorn sauce
- First, crush half the peppercorns in a pestle and mortar, or chop them finely with a knife.
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized pan over a medium heat and add the peppercorns (whole and chopped) and the red onion, and sauté them gently until the onions begin to caramelise.
- Add the mustard and stir it around until it begins to stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Now throw in the brandy and light it with a lighter to burn off the alcohol. If that scares you, just boil it until it has reduced by two-thirds. It’ll give you the same end result – but, of course, flambéing looks cooler.
- Add the cream, reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce has thickened.
- As your last move before serving your brandy peppercorn sauce , season it with salt and pepper and stir through the fresh chives.
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