This peppery, buttery sauce is my favourite sauce to have with steak.
Ingredients
For the Madagascar steak
- 4 beef fillet or ribeye steaks
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Madagascar sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons finely diced shallot or onion
- 2 cloves garlic — crushed
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped green peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon brine from the peppercorns
- 40ml brandy or cognac
- ¾ cup beef stock
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1 cup cream
- 60g butter — diced
Method
For the Madagascar steak
- Remove the steaks from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to allow them to come to room temperature. Season on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat a non-stick pan over a high heat. Once it is smoking, add the oil and sear the steaks for 3–4 minutes each side for a medium-rare finish, or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a warm plate, cover with foil and leave to rest while you make the sauce.
- To make the Madagascar Sauce, add the oil, shallot or onion and garlic to the pan you cooked the steaks in and cook over a medium heat until softened but not browned.
- Add the peppercorns, brine and brandy or cognac and carefully ignite with a match to burn off the alcohol.
- When the flame dies out and the sauce is reduced by half, stir in the stock, mustard and worcestershire sauce. Simmer until reduced by half again.
- Stir in the cream and simmer until reduced by half or until the sauce is just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the diced butter one piece at a time until the sauce is smooth and glossy.
- Serve the steaks topped with the Madagascar Sauce.