French

Peppercorn sauce

Name: Peppercorn sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 people
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 shallots (finely chopped); 50 g butter (~30 g for cooking and ~20 g to finish the sauce); 3 tbsp green peppercorns in brine (drained and roughly crushed ; can also add red and white peppercorns if desired); 1 tsp black peppercorns (roughly crushed); 6 tbsp cognac (or armagnac, about 60 ml); 2 dl veal stock; 2.5 dl heavy cream (at least 35 % fat); 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional); salt

The classic French bistro sauce. Indispensable on a good entrecôte.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 30 min
Level: Easy

A creamy peppercorn sauce coating a rare entrecôte

Tips

Veal stock is everything, homemade if you can, otherwise a good one from the supermarket (never a regular bouillon cube). Use veal stock, not beef.
Crush the peppercorns, don't grind them. In a mortar or under the flat of a knife, you want shards, not powder (that's what brings the bite). A marble mortar, by the way, is an excellent investment: it usually doesn't cost much, lasts a lifetime and gives you a far better texture.
If the sauce splits or feels too thin, take it off the heat and whisk in cold butter, it smooths out and thickens.
You can also add red and white peppercorns for a colourful mix.
You can make this sauce separately, or start it in the same pan you used to cook the meat. Deglaze the fond with a little butter, then carry on with the recipe. If you're making it separately, lift the fond with a knob of butter and stir it into the sauce.

Method

Finely chop the shallots. Roughly crush the peppercorns (mortar or flat of a knife).
In a heavy-bottomed pan or stainless-steel skillet, melt the 30 g of butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and sweat them for 3 to 4 minutes without colouring, they should go translucent, never brown.
Add the crushed peppercorns and toast for 30 seconds to release the aromas.
Off the heat, pour in the cognac. Return to the heat and flambé. Watch the flames (I've already singed my hair doing this).
Pour in the veal stock. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the cream. Let it simmer over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, a finger drawn across should leave a clean line. Never let the sauce boil once the cream is in.
Off the heat, stir in the mustard if using. Then add the very cold butter, cut into small dice, two or three pieces at a time, whisking until each batch is fully incorporated before adding more. This step, known as monter au beurre, creates an emulsion that makes the sauce glossier, silkier and more stable. It doesn't replace a proper reduction, but it gives you the finishing touch that separates a good peppercorn sauce from an excellent one.
Taste and adjust the salt ; add pepper if you want more bite.
Serve with an entrecôte that has rested after cooking.