My take on Steak au Poivre???!!!

I still cannot get myself to think about having the holy cow served up on a plate... But when my vegetarian husband came home with lamb tenderloin instead of chops for my mom's wonderful curry, I was inspired by Alton Brown's recipe for Steak au Poivre. Like I weren't already a big fan of AB and Good Eats, this one seals the deal, though the only thing I stuck to was the technique and put my own Indian and non-beef spin on it. And I cant believe I could whip up something this mind-blowing in 15 minutes or less.


Take the 1.5" medallions out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead of time.

Sprinkle with salt. Make a mixture of red chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Dredge the medallions in the mixture and set aside.

Melt 1 tbsp of butter with 1 tsp of olive oil in a skillet. As soon as the oil starts smoking, put the medallions in. Cook for no more than 4 minutes per side. Remove and tent with foil.


For the pan sauce, take the pan off the flame, remove the remaining fat and add 1/3 cup cognac. Ignite it and shake the pan till all the flames die off. Add 1 cup of heavy cream and return to heat to thicken so it coats the back of the spoon.


Ohhh yummmmmm.....

Ever since we tasted it at La Zucca in Venice, have been enamored by the Chestnut Semifreddo. So much so, that every July since, I have attempted to make a chestnut puree from scratch and turn it into a semifreddo, and when paired with my own Leonidas-chocolate mousse, its the most welcome trip down memory lane. And may I add that my skills at making these layered desserts is improving....