Au Poivre Sauce

This rich French sauce made of pepper, Cognac, and cream is traditionally served on steak, but its equally good on pork or salmon.

Chef

Cookbook

Now Eat This!

Published by Ballantine Books

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This image courtesy of Joseph DeLeo

Editor's Note: Au poivre sauce is often served with steak or other red meat. Made with peppercorns and cognac mixed with heavy cream, this rich and flavorful sauce is a simple way to add something more to your favorite steak recipe. This alternative is a little lighter and just as flavorful. Some chefs like to add extra flavors like shallots or even Dijon mustard to expand the flavor palette of this already yummy French recipe.

This rich French sauce made of pepper, Cognac, and cream is traditionally served on steak, but it’s equally good on pork or salmon. Instead of cream, this version is given body and richness with cornstarch-thickened evaporated milk.

Healthy Tips: Got (evaporated) milk? Try replacing heavy cream with evaporated skim milk in cooked foods like sauces, custards, pies, and cakes. At 25 calories per 2-tablespoon serving, compared to 40 calories for cream (and none of those coming from fat), you can have your custard and eat it, too.

Makes1 1/3 cups

CostModerate

Easy

Dietary ConsiderationEgg-free, Peanut Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free

Taste and TextureCreamy, Spiced

Type of DishSauces

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 small shallots, chopped fine (¼ cup)
2 tablespoons crushed pepper medley
3 tablespoons brandy or Cognac
½ cup low-fat, low-sodium beef broth
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Salt

Parlez-vous français?
From bain-maries to hors d'oeuvre, expand your vocabulary and channel your inner Julia Child with these French cooking terms and cutting techniques!

You'll be an expert in no time when you master the terms and techniques listed in French Cooking Terms All Chefs Should Know

French Cooking Terms All Chefs Should Know

Instructions

Heat a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the shallots and saute, stirring occasionally, until they are nearly translucent, about 2 minutes.
Raise the heat to high, and add the pepper and brandy to the pan. Simmer the brandy for one minute. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Cook until the mixture has reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the evaporated milk into the cornstarch.
Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce. Cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt to taste, and serve.

More French Sauces from Cookstr.com

French cuisine is known for decadent and creamy sauces that add a richness to just about any dish. Unmatched in their ability to transform just about any meat into a creamy delicacy, learning how to make french sauces can transform your cooking repertoire.

Meunière Sauce: Perfect for fish.
Hollandaise Sauce: From famed foodie Julia Child.
Flour-Based Brown Sauce: Also known as brown roux.
Bechamel Sauce: Five-ingredients to transform your favorite recipes.

Looking to Make Steak Au Poivre from Start to Finish?
Then check out this full recipe from famed foodie and chef Anthony Bourdain.

Incredible as it seems, this dish used to be a tableside standard at many restaurants, meaning waiters would prepare the dish in the dining room over Sterno, usually with great panache—and to inadvertent comic effect. My friend Jack used to order it just so everybody else in the dining room would go home smelling like his dinner. Often, waiters would sneak in a touch of heavy cream, ensuring a richer, easier, faster thickening of the sauce. As well, they’d sometimes offer the variation of a steak Diane, which was essentially the same dish but with a spoon of Dijon mustard and a touch of cream whisked into the final sauce.

Find the full recipe here: Steak Au Poivre