• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Nicky's Kitchen Sanctuary logo

  • > Start Here
  • The Recipes
    • Browse all categories
    • Asian
    • Dinner
    • Pasta
    • Roast Dinner
    • Curries
    • Sides
    • Soups
    • Big Batch
    • Quick Dinner Recipes
    • Skinny Recipes
    • Street Food
    • Lunch
    • Gluten Free
    • Vegetarian
    • Cakes & Treats
    • BBQ
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Drinks
    • Appetizers
    • Sauces and Dips
  • My New Book
  • Blogger Resources
    • Living The Blog
    • How to start a food blog
    • Income Reports
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • Sign-Up
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • > Start Here
  • All Recipes
  • Never miss a recipe!
  • 20 Minute Meals
  • Appetizers & Party Food
  • Asian
  • Curries
  • Dinner
  • One Pot
  • Pasta
  • Roast Dinner
  • Sides
  • Slow Cooked
  • Soups
  • Street Food
  • Terms and Conditions
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home > Sauces and Dips

    Diane Sauce

    Published: Sep 26, 2021 by Nicky Corbishley

    Go to Recipe Go to Video Print Recipe

    Creamy Diane sauce, spiked with cognac and a touch of mustard, is one of my favourite sauces for steak.
    It's ready in less than 10 minutes, so you can easily make it while your steak is resting.
    If you love this, you'll love my Steak Diane Casserole too.

    A tall image of a cooked sliced steak with diane sauce over the top with parsley sprinkled on top, a spoon is next to the steak, on a wooden board
    Jump to:
    • 📋 What do we need?
    • 📺 Watch how to make it
    • 🍽️ What to serve it with
    • 🍲 More fantastic Sauces for Steak
    • Diane Sauce for Steak
    • 💬 Reviews

    A classic, retro sauce for steak - this Diane Sauce takes me back to my childhood, not that I ever had it then, but it was always something my mum and dad would order at a restaurant after the prawn cocktail and marie rose sauce starter of course, followed by black forest gateaux!
    And now it's totally something I would order at a restaurant - but it's also great being able to make at home for steak night.

    Ok, flambéing brandy doesn't come naturally to all of us, but you don't have to set it alight like on tv, the alcohol in the cognac will naturally cook off after a minute or so and leave you with all of the flavour and minimal alcohol.
    The cream and pan juices turn it into a luscious, serious steak lovers sauce. It's easy to see why this Diane sauce has stood the test of time.

    📋 What do we need?

    A wooden table with all of the ingredients laid out and labelled
    • Dijon Mustard, with its beautiful tangy flavour, is the best for this sauce.
    • Cream Use double (heavy) cream instead of single or light cream for this sauce to ensure a luscious sauce that won't split.
    • Stock Beef stock is the best for this sauce but any good stock will work too.
    • Cognac if you don't use alcohol, you can add an extra tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce.
    • Cornflour (Corn starch) - this is optional, but you can use it if you prefer your sauce a little thicker.

    📺 Watch how to make it

    Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

    1. Sauté the shallots, garlic, salt and pepper in the butter and oil for two to three minutes
    2. Add the Cognac and bubble for one minute, then add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard and stock a cook until thickened slightly
    3. Stir in the cream and any pan juices and heat through, then serve

    👩‍🍳PRO TIP * If you want the sauce to be a little thicker, stir in a corn starch slurry (1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 3 tbsp cold water). Pour into the bubbling sauce, slowly, whilst stirring, until thickened to your liking.

    We like to have a little jug of extra Diane Sauce on the side, so we don't run out, and because we can, the more sauce the better for us.

    A jug of diane sauce sat next to a sliced cooked steak on a wooden board

    🍽️ What to serve it with

    • Juicy steak - check out my post on how to cook the perfect steak.
    • Roast Chicken if you fancy some thing different for grown ups, this sauce will hit the spot

    How do you like yours?

    A slice of cooked steak being dipped into a white bowl of diane sauce

    If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my Steak Diane Casserole too!


    🍲 More fantastic Sauces for Steak

    • Peppercorn Sauce
    • Creamy Mushroom Sauce
    • Blue Cheese Sauce
    • Red Wine Jus
    • Simple Garlic Butter
    • Easy Chimichurri Sauce

    Stay updated with new recipes!
    Subscribe to the newsletter to hear when I post a new recipe. I’m also on YouTube (new videos every week) and Instagram (behind-the-scenes stories & beautiful food photos).

    Sliced, cooked steak with diane sauce drizzled over the top on a wooden table with a silver spoon

    Diane Sauce for Steak

    By: Nicky Corbishley
    Creamy Diane sauce, spiked with cognac and a touch of mustard, is fantastic for steak. Ready in 10 minutes!
    5 from 3 votes
    Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 2 mins
    Cook Time 8 mins
    Total Time 10 mins
    Course Sauces
    Cuisine American, Belgium, British
    Servings 4
    Calories 176 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter
    • ½ tbsp sunflower oil - if you’ve just cooked steak to go with this sauce, use the oils/meat-drippings that are left in the pan, instead of the sunflower oil and butter.
    • 2 shallots - peeled and chopped finely
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • ¼ tsp black pepper
    • 1 garlic clove - peeled and minced
    • 2 tbsp cognac
    • 180 ml (¾ cup) beef stock - water plus 2 stock cubes is fine.
    • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
    • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
    • 120 ml (½ cup) double (heavy) cream

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Add the butter and oil to a frying pan and heat over a medium heat.
    • When the butter has melted, add the shallots, salt, pepper and garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the shallots are just starting to soften.
    • Add the cognac to the pan, bubble for 1 minute, then add in the stock, Worcestershire sauce and mustard. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
    • Stir in the cream (if you have any juices from resting your steak, add them to the pan now too). Bring back to a simmer, then turn off the heat.
    • Serve over steak.

    Video

    ✎ Notes

    Can I make it ahead?
    Yes, you can keep the sauce warm while your steak is cooking
    Ingredient swaps
    • Want it without the alcohol? Leave out the cognac and add an extra teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.
     
    Nutritional information is per serving. This recipe serves 4.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 176kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 1gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 467mgPotassium: 89mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 533IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 31mgIron: 1mg
    Keywords Sauce for steak
    Tried this recipe?Mention @KitchenSanctuary or tag #KitchenSanctuary on Instagram!

    Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More
    « Red Wine Jus
    How to cook the perfect steak »

    Other Recipes You Might Like:

    Sliced and cooked steak with red wine jus being poured over the top from a white jug, a fork with steak on it is on the side of the plate
    Red Wine Jus
    A square image of creamy mushroom sauce with a wooden spoon stirring it
    Creamy Mushroom Sauce
    A cooked steak with blue cheese sauce over the top with some green beans, served on a blue plate
    Blue Cheese Sauce
    A cooked steak with peppercorn sauce being poured over the top with a spoon, green beans in the background on a blue plate
    Peppercorn Sauce

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Rate the recipe




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Steph D says

      March 29, 2022 at 9:24 pm

      5 stars
      Genuinely wonderful! I cook some sliced mushrooms in it too, it is utterly fabulous - thank you!!

      Reply
    2. Helen Campbell says

      March 22, 2022 at 3:02 pm

      5 stars
      Love this sauce

      Reply
    3. Eli says

      January 25, 2022 at 10:42 am

      This looks yummy can't wait to make my own

      Reply
    4. Tuakana Topa says

      January 21, 2022 at 7:43 am

      Love to cook a Dianne sauce yummy sauce

      Reply
    5. Kath says

      October 27, 2021 at 7:25 am

      5 stars
      Love your version of this classic sauce, so easy to make Gluten Free too.😋

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More

    Recipes by category:

    • Popular Recipes
    • Asian
    • Curries
    • Quick Dinner Recipes
    • British Classic Recipes
    • BBQ
    • Roast Dinner
    • Street Food
    • Pasta
    Search For a Recipe

    Our Top Trending Recipes:

    • Crispy Sesame Chicken with a Sticky Asian Sauce
    • Honey Garlic Chicken
    • The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes
    • Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon
    • Easy Chicken Curry
    • Easy Satay Sauce Recipe
    • Korean Fried Chicken
    • Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake

    FREE recipes direct to your inbox!

    Never miss a recipe and sign up for our completely FREE emails.

      Featured Recipes:

      • Chilli Con Carne
      • Traditional Lancashire Hotpot
      • Creamy Chicken Pot Pie
      • Egg Fried Rice
      • Korean Fried Chicken
      • Copycat Firecracker Chicken
      • Buffalo Chicken Pasta
      • Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken Curry
      As Featured On
      brit and co logo
      buzzfeed logo
      cheshire life logo
      country living logo
      beautiful home and life logo
      my fitness pal logo
      Neff logo
      The telegraph logo
      The Kitchn logo
      Vegetarian society logo

      Footer

      Nicky Corbishley is the recipe creator and photographer for Kitchen Sanctuary. Wife to Chris (chief techie and videographer) and mum to Lewis and Gracey. Read More…

      DMCA.com Protection Status

      Most Recent Recipes

      • Air Fryer Roast Chicken Dinner
      • Minced Beef Fried Rice
      • Chicken and Rice Soup
      • Easy Mulled Cider
      • Honey Roasted Parsnips

      Copyright © 2023 LoveFoodCreative Ltd - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Terms & Conditions