(Oldstuff) Peppered steak - hot! ;)

A simple peppered steak for those that don't mind it hot.

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

• 3x pieces of steak. Fillet is best I find, but sirloin is ok
• 2x tablespoons of brandy
• 3x tablespoons of peppercorns. For best taste I'd strongly recommend a milder blend of different corns like these.
• Pinch of salt.
• 300ml of single cream.
• Butter

Method:

Crush the peppercorns with a pestle and mortar. Don't even think of using ground or pre-crushed pepper, it's just not the same.

Press the crushed peppercorns onto the steaks firmly and sprinkle a touch of salt on each side. Leave to sit for 10 minutes or so.

Heat a heavy based frying pan until very warm and add half of the butter. Heat until nearly fully melted and then add the steaks. The idea is to sear the outside of the steak and seal the peppercorns. The steaks should be heated for about 45 seconds each side and then the gas turned down significantly. Add the rest of the butter and sprinkle liberally with freshly ground pepper. Cook to the desired taste on each side. Medium rare should take about 2 minutes each side.

Once cooked, remove the steaks to a covered dish in a gas mark 1 pre-heated oven (it's important to cover, this prevents the steak from drying out). The frying pan should now have a fairly significant amount of cooked pepper, and this will form the basis of the sauce. Heat the peppercorns heavily for half a minute or so and add more freshly ground pepper. Remove the pan from the heat for 30 seconds and add the Brandy. With any luck, the brandy will just gentle boil but it may set alight.

After 10 seconds of stirring, return the pan to a low heat and stir constantly. When there is only a little brandy left, pour in the cream. Turn up the heat and stir constantly for a couple of minutes. When the sauce has thickened, remove from the heat and serve.

I'm a heathen and enjoy this meal with onion-rings, potato wedges and broccoli. It goes very well with a full bodied red wine, though I'd specifically recommend Clancy's 1998 - surely one of the best wines for under ?10!