Steak Diane

Steak Diane is a classic dish that I have cooked in the restaurant on the gueridon trolley in front of the customer. It is a good show piece, centre stage and can be a talking point for all who see it being cooked.

But now sadly not so much the done thing in the age of every thing plated and presented. That and the fact that your skills in the restaurant have been diminished some what.

But this has nothing to do with the dish you will need,
One good steak, ether fillet or sirloin steak.
A little butter
Finely diced onions or shallots
Finley Sliced mushrooms
Red wine
Brandy
Double or whipping cream
A good French mustard
A little garlic crushed
Some chopped parsley and chives
Salt and pepper.
A little oil

First you want to get your steaks. Here you want a piece of meat that is well trimmed. That is to say you do not want to mush sinew around the edge of the meat. If you get this you might find that it will go very tough as you are cooking it. Also you want it cutting fairly thin so that it does not take to long to cook. This is for to reasons one you do not want the room smoking up as you cook the steak and second you do not want to get all the lovely juices in the pan from the stake over cooking to much and turning to carbon.

Now take your frying pan and get that on the heat. You want it nice and hot before you put the steaks in it.

Take your meat and season it with the salt and pepper and also use a little oil over the meat just to help when it goes into the pan so it help it not stinking as you cook it.
When you pan is hot place your steaks in it. You are looking for a convincing sizzle as they hit the surface of the pan. Once you have cooked and sealed on side then you can start on the over side. Once you have cooked your stakes in the fashion that you like them to be cooked then take them out of the pan and let them rest for a little as you move to making the sauce

Take your finely chopped shallots or onions and add them to the pan with a little butter and let them soften for a little. Then add a little red wine. This will help in deglazing the pan and getting all the meat juices of the pan and in to the sauce. Take your mushrooms, garlic and add them to the mix letting them soften and then once the red wine has almost gone add the brandy.

Now to do this properly you must flame the brandy , let it get warm in the pan for a short while and then let a naked flame ignite the bandy and burn way all the alcohol and just leave you the flavour of the spirit. Then add a little mustard and some cream. Stir this in and allow reducing a little then taking your steaks that have now been rested place them back in the pan to get cover with the sauce.

Only allow your steaks to get a covering of the sauce the last thing you want to do is to start to stew them in the sauce then plate them up. Garnish with a little chopped parsley and chopped chives.

It is really simple and very tasty, as for precise ingredients well that is more to taste rather than a set rule so do what you like to think is best.