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Steak au Poivre with Frites

A wintry feast featuring a simple steak au poivre recipe and crispy frites.

Makes: 4 servings
Author: Elizabeth Stark of Brooklyn Supper
Ingredients
For the Steak au Poivre
  • 3 tablespoon black peppercorns
  • 4 (6-ounce) soft side or tenderloin steaks
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons neutral, heat-tolerant cooking oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallot (1 medium)
  • 2 tablespoons cognac
  • 1/2 cup beef or chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup crème fraîche
For the Frites
  • 4 large russet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges
  • neutral, heat-tolerant cooking oil such as safflower or canola
  • sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. 40 minutes ahead of time, rinse potato wedges several times in very cold water. Then soak wedges in cold water 20 minutes. Drain, roll potatoes up in a towel, and blot completely dry.
  2. Crack the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or by wrapping in a flour cloth and bashing 1 – 2 times with a heavy pan or a flat, heavy bottomed glass.
  3. Set steaks on a butcher tray and coat with cracked peppercorns on both sides, gently pressing pepper into the surface. Reserve any leftover pepper. Then, generously sprinkle steaks on both sides with sea salt. Set aside at room temperature for 20 minutes.
    steak au poivre and frites // brooklyn supper
  4. To make frites, fill a deep, wide, heavy bottomed skillet with 2-inches of oil, set over medium heat, and using a deep fry thermometer, heat oil to 300 degrees Set a large paper bag on a tray. Add potatoes 10 or so at a time; fry 6 minutes. Carefully remove potatoes from oil with a slotted spatula and set in paper bag. Repeat for all the frites. Then, increase heat slightly and wait for oil to reach 400 degrees. Adding 10 or so at a time, fry potatoes a second time for 2 - 3 minutes, or until they are a light golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set frites back in paper bag. When all frites are cooked, add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt to the bag and shake. Taste and add more as needed.

  5. Meanwhile, cook steaks. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat; preheat oven to 350 degrees Drizzle oil over steaks on both sides. Add steaks to pan, sear 3 - 4 minutes, flip, and sear 3 - 4 minutes more. Set steaks on an ovenproof platter and cook in oven 5 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140 degrees Rest steaks at room temperature for 5 minutes.

    steak au poivre and frites // brooklyn supper
  6. Set the same pan used to cook steaks over medium heat. Add butter, and when melted, add shallots and a pinch sea salt. Cook, stirring often, 3 minutes. Carefully pour in cognac, increase heat to medium-high, and scrape up any brown bits on bottom of pan. Add stock; increase heat high. Stirring constantly, allow mixture to bubble vigorously until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in crème fraîche, and add sea salt and pepper to taste. Pour sauce into a warm gravy bowl.
  7. Plate steaks and frites, and then drizzle steaks with sauce.
Recipe Notes

This recipe calls for a bit of coordination and is most easily made by two people – one to make steaks and sauce and one to make frites. If you're new to deep-frying, note that a steady temperature is key. We use an electric countertop skillet. If deep-frying on the stovetop, use a deep fry thermometer to keep track of the oil temperature.