Jamie Oliver’s Peppercorn Sauce
Jamie Oliver’s Peppercorn Sauce has a beautiful deep warmth to it and is perfect to pair with a meaty steak. It only takes around 10 minutes to prepare, so you can make it while your steak is resting. For a hearty weekend meal, I enjoy it most when served over chips (without the meat).
This sauce is a traditional steak sauce that includes black peppercorns and cream; it is wonderful, rich, and delicious, and suitable for a date night or a special event. We enjoy lots of peppercorns in our sauce, and although it might look like a lot, the spiciness of the pepper mellows out during cooking.
Jamie Oliver’s Peppercorn Sauce Ingredients
- Black Peppercorns. Green peppercorns, which are a bit milder, are another option.
- Cream. If you want to make a rich sauce that won’t separate, use double (heavy) cream instead of single (light) cream.
- Stock. I recommend using beef stock, but any excellent, robust stock will do.
- Shallots. Onions, either white or brown, can be used instead if they are finely diced.
Which Peppercorns Should You Use?
Green peppercorns have a mellower flavor than black peppercorns and have a flowery, fragrant taste. Green peppercorns are available dried, but they are often brined or pickled and offered in cans or jars as well.
To increase the spicy flavor of dried whole peppercorns, toast them in a skillet set over medium heat before crushing them. You can either crush the peppercorns or grind them into a powder for peppercorn sauce.
You can add a 1/4 teaspoon of Sichuan or Aleppo peppercorns to your sauce.
How to Make Jamie Oliver’s Peppercorn Sauce
- Place 3 teaspoons of the peppercorns in a plastic bag and coarsely crush them with a rolling pin (or use a pestle and mortar if you have one). We prefer a coarse texture to a fine powder, so avoid over-crushing. Set the peppercorns aside.
- Melt the butter and oil in a frying pan set over medium heat.
- When the butter has melted, add the shallots, salt, the crushed peppercorns, and the remaining whole peppercorns to the frying pan; cook the shallots for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are just beginning to soften.
- Add the stock and Worcestershire sauce and bring them to a boil; simmer vigorously for 5 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half.
- Stir in the cream (if you have any juices from resting your steak, add them to the pan now too). Return to a simmer and then remove from heat.
- Serve over steak.
How to Thicken Peppercorn Sauce
Any pan sauce with a short cooking time, like this one, won’t thicken up much. The recipe suggests adding a slurry (cornstarch combined with a little water) towards the end if you want a thicker, more substantial sauce.
Can I Make This Peppercorn Sauce Ahead of Serving it?
Yes, you can! Simply, let the peppercorns sauce cool fully before storing it in the fridge for up to two days. Then, warm it up again over low heat while stirring before serving it.
Jamie Oliver’s Peppercorn Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons black peppercorns divided
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ½ tablespoon sunflower oil
- 2 shallots peeled and chopped finely
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup beef stock
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup double (heavy) cream
Instructions
- Place 3 teaspoons of the peppercorns in a plastic bag and coarsely crush them with a rolling pin (or use a pestle and mortar if you have one). We prefer a coarse texture to a fine powder, so avoid over-crushing. Set the peppercorns aside.
- Melt the butter and oil in a frying pan set over medium heat.
- When the butter has melted, add the shallots, salt, crushed peppercorns, and the remaining whole peppercorns to the frying pan; cook the shallots for 2 to 3 minutes or until they are just beginning to soften.
- Add the stock and Worcestershire sauce and bring them to a boil; simmer vigorously for 5 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half.
- Stir in the cream (if you have any juices from resting your steak, add them to the pan now too). Return to a simmer and then remove from heat.
- Serve over steak.
Excellent, quick and easy. Jamie Oliver at his traditional best. I just added a splash of brandy.