Peppercorn sauce is a culinary

cream sauce In cooking, a sauce is a liquid, cream, or semi-solid food, served on or used in preparing other foods. Most sauces are not normally consumed by themselves; they add flavor, moisture, and visual appeal to a dish. ''Sauce'' is a French word t ...

prepared with

peppercorn Black pepper (''Piper nigrum'') is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. The fruit is a drupe (stonefruit) which is about in diamet ...

, which is prepared as a reduction of the cream in the cooking process. Various types of peppercorn can be used in its preparation, such as black, green and pink, among others. Peppercorn sauce may be served with beef steak such as

filet mignon Filet mignon (; ; ) is a cut of meat taken from the smaller end of the tenderloin, or psoas major of a cow. In French, it mostly refers to cuts of pork tenderloin. The tenderloin runs along both sides of the spine, and is usually butchered as ...

and other

beef tenderloin A beef tenderloin (US English), known as an eye fillet in Australasia, filet in France, filé mignon in Brazil, and fillet in the United Kingdom and South Africa, is cut from the loin of beef. Description As with all quadrupeds, the tenderloin ...

cuts, lamb,

rack of lamb A rack of lamb or carré d'agneau (though this may also refer to other cuts) is a cut of lamb cut perpendicularly to the spine, and including 16 ribs or chops. At retail, it is usually sold 'single' (sawn longitudinally and including the 8 ribs on ...

, chicken and fish dishes, such as those prepared with tuna and salmon. Steak with five pepper sauce

Some versions use several types of peppercorns in the sauce's preparation, and some may use ingredients that are similar in flavor to but not classified as peppercorns, such as sansho. Peppercorn sauce may be used on dishes served at

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

bistro A bistro or bistrot , is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant, serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. French home-style cooking, and slow-cooked foods ...

s and restaurants. Some versions of ''

steak au poivre Steak au poivre (, Quebec French pronunciation: ) or pepper steak is a French dish that consists of a steak, traditionally a filet mignon, coated with coarsely cracked peppercorns. The peppercorns form a crust on the steak when cooked and pr ...

'' use a peppercorn sauce in their preparation.

Ingredients

Primary ingredients are typically peppercorns and heavy cream. Additional ingredients may include butter, wine, brandy, such as

cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cognac production falls under French appella ...

, shallots, garlic and additional seasonings, such as bay leaf, star anise, tarragon and salt. Some versions may incorporate

liquor Liquor (or a spirit) is an alcoholic drink produced by distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar, that have already gone through alcoholic fermentation. Other terms for liquor include: spirit drink, distilled beverage or h ...

, such as whiskey.

References

{{White sauces White sauces

Ingredients

See also

References