½tbspsunflower oilif 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.
Place 3 teaspoons of the peppercorns in a zip-lock back, and roughly crush with a rolling pin (or use a pestle and mortar if you have one). Don’t bash too much – we want a bit of texture, rather than a fine powder. Put to one side.
4 tsp black peppercorns
Add the butter and oil to a frying pan and heat over a medium heat.
1 tbsp (15g) unsalted butter, ½ tbsp sunflower oil
When the butter has melted, add the shallots, salt, the crushed peppers from earlier, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of whole peppercorns. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the shallots are just starting to soften.
2 shallots, ¼ tsp salt
Add the brandy to the pan, bubble for 1 minute, then add in the stock and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to the boil and simmer rapidly for 5 minutes until reduced by half.
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.
120 ml (1/2 cup) double (heavy) cream
Serve over steak.
Video
Notes
Can I make it ahead?Yes, allow the sauce to cool completely then store in the fridge for up to two days. Reheat on a low heat, stirring until piping hot.Ingredient swaps
Want it without the alcohol? Leave out the brandy and add an extra teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.
Try green peppercorns instead of black for a milder flavour
Nutritional information is per serving. This recipe serves 4.