French · Sauce · All year
Sauce au Poivre
4.6 · community
5m
Prep
12m
Cook
Easy
Level
280
Energy
The peppercorn cream sauce, built in the steak's own pan: cracked pepper toasted in the fond, flamed with cognac, mellowed with cream. Bistro theater, weeknight effort.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
2
Before you start
Mise en place
Yield: About 200 ml
Equipment
Small saucepan
Whisk
Prep checklist
Whole Black Peppercorns — coarsely crushed
Green Peppercorns — brined, drained
Cognac — or brandy
3 steps
Method
1
In the pan you just seared a steak in (fond and all), toast the crushed peppercorns in butter over medium heat 1 minute until fragrant.
1 min — timer available in cooking mode
2
Off the flame, add the cognac; return to heat and let it flame or boil hard for 30 seconds to burn off the harshness.
Why this works
Pull the pan OFF the burner before pouring — a bottle of spirits near an open flame is how eyebrows are lost. Let it flame in the pan, not in the pour.
3
Add stock and reduce by half, 2–3 minutes. Add cream and green peppercorns; simmer 3–4 minutes to a coating consistency. Whisk in mustard off the heat and season.
7 min — timer available in cooking mode
From the pass
Chef's notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Airtight jar in the fridge, 3–5 days. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of starch-thickened sauces to stop a skin forming.
Freezing
Most sauces freeze 2–3 months; freeze in ice-cube trays for single portions. Emulsified butter/egg sauces don't freeze — they break on thawing.
Reheating
Reheat gently over low heat, whisking; butter- and egg-based sauces split when boiled. Loosen with a spoonful of warm water or stock.
Make ahead
Most sauces keep 3–5 days refrigerated and freeze in ice-cube trays for instant single portions. Emulsified butter sauces are best made within the hour.
Wine pairing
Follows the dish it dresses.
Beer pairing
Follows the dish it dresses.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
Steak au poivre (obviously)
Seared duck breast
A grilled portobello for the vegetarians at the table
Garnish
A final swirl of butter or oil
Fresh herbs
Taste map
Flavour profile
Sweet
1
Salty
3
Sour
2
Bitter
0
Umami
4
Heat
0
Per serving
Nutrition
280
kcal
3g
protein
4g
carbs
26g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
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Your notes
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