In my first post on here I talked about my failed foray into the world of food blogging back in 2014, the only measurable success of which was a recipe I created for a peppercorn sauce that I still use today.
Creating that recipe was a labour of love and it seems a bit mean of me to talk about it without going to the trouble of re-posting – I hope you enjoy it.
No rules. Don’t be afraid to do whatever you want. Cooking doesn’t have to have rules. I don’t like it that way
Masaharu Morimoto
Ingredients
- 30g butter
- 3 small shallots, very finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 6 tsp peppercorns (ideally a mix of black, green, and pink)
- 1 tsp Maldon sea salt
- 2 tsp mustard (preferably Dijon)
- 2 tbsp brandy
- 100 ml port or red wine
- 200 ml beef stock (preferably made with a Knorr rich beef stockpot)
- 170 ml double cream
Method
- Crush the peppercorns and salt using a pestle and mortar, ensuring that you leave a few bigger pieces of peppercorn.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and gently fry the shallots and garlic until they have softened but not browned.
- Stir in the peppercorn and salt mix and continue to gently fry for a minute or so.
- Pour in the brandy and flame, stirring at the same time.
- When the flames have stopped add the port or red wine, turn up the heat, and boil rapidly until reduced by half.
- Add the stock and mustard to the pan, then reduce again to half.
- Gently stir in the pot of cream, bring back to the boil, and reduce slightly until the sauce has thickened.
Best served in a ramekin dish so you can dip the chips!
You can prepare the sauce in advance – either stop at stage (6) and turn the heat off until just before you’re ready to serve, or after stage (7) simply keep the sauce on a low simmer.
Do let me know what you think – any ideas for improvement are always welcome.
