Cognac Sauce Food

COGNAC CREAM

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a medium stainless-steel saucepan over medium heat and bring almost to a boil. Remove from the heat.
• Beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, sprinkle on the cornstarch. Beat on medium-low speed until combined, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture back into the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. (Pay attention because it will thicken and then quickly become scrambled eggs!)
• Immediately, pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Stir in the vanilla, Cognac, butter, and heavy cream. Place plastic wrap directly on the custard and refrigerate until cold.

BEEF TENDERLOIN STEAKS WITH MUSTARD-COGNAC SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 250°F. Sprinkle steaks on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. Add steaks and sear until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 3 tablespoons butter, garlic, thyme, and rosemary to skillet. Cook steaks to desired doneness, turning occasionally and basting with pan juices, about 12 minutes for medium-rare.
• Transfer steaks to small rimmed baking sheet and keep warm in oven.
• Pour contents of skillet into small bowl. Return 3 tablespoons drippings from bowl to same skillet and place over high heat. Add shallots and sauté 2 minutes. Add Cognac and Port and stir 1 minute, scraping up any browned bits. Add broth and boil until sauce is reduced to 1 cup, about 12 minutes. Whisk in Dijon mustard, then remaining 3 tablespoons cold butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Arrange steaks on plates; whisk any accumulated juices from baking sheet into sauce. Spoon sauce over steaks and serve.

COGNAC SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the shallots and garlic and saute until transparent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Then add the cognac and flame.
• To do this, remove the saucepan from the heat and touch a lighted match to the edge of the pan; the fumes of the cognac will ignite.
• Holding the pan away from you, allow the flames to die down naturally.
• Add the stock and cream and simmer over low heat until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms and continue to simmer 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

PEPPERCORN SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook steaks and keep them in one layer in skillet. Remove steaks from skillet and skim all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan juices in the skillet. To skillet add, shallots and minced garlic and cook them for 1 to 2 minutes until softened. Deglaze with Cognac, scraping up bits which cling to skillet. Add stock or canned beef broth and peppercorns. In a small bowl combine cup heavy cream and cornstarch. Whisk cornstarch mixture into sauce and simmer until lightly thickened. Whisk in mustard and pour juices from plate into pan.

BEEF MEDALLIONS WITH COGNAC SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; stir 1 minute. Add chicken broth, beef broth and Cognac. Simmer until sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Add cream. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks; cook to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for rare. Transfer steaks to plates. Add sauce to skillet; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Slice steaks; fan slices on plates. Top with sauce and garnish with chives.

FILET MIGNONS WITH COGNAC-CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the rub, in a small bowl, mix together the paprika, garlic powder, mustard, rosemary, salt and black pepper. Sprinkle the rub all over the meat, reserving 1 Tb. Let the steaks stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature, if necessary, before cooking.
• In a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the steaks and cook to the desired doneness, turning once, 3-5 minutes on each side.
• Transfer the steaks to a platter and let rest, tented loosely with aluminum foil, while you make the pan sauce.
• To make the sauce, in the same frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter.
• Add the shallot and parsley and saute until the shallot is softened, 2-3 minutes.
• Remove the pan from heat and add the Cognac.
• Briefly return to the heat to warm; then remove from the heat again to ignite the Cognac using a long kitchen match, making sure the overhead fan is off and averting your eyes. Keep a lid handly in case the flame should flare up.
• When the flame has burned out, return the pan to high heat and whisk in the mustard, tomato paste, reserved 1 Tb rub, and beef stock.
• Cook, whisking often, to reduce the sauce by half, 4-5 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cream and cayenne to taste.
• Add any accumulated juices from the steaks. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
• To serve, spoon a generous amount of sauce over the steaks and serve at once. Pass any extra sauce at the table.

PAN-FRIED STEAK IN COGNAC-PEPPERCORN SAUCE

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add peppercorns and mash with back of fork. Add broth, Cognac, and cream and boil until sauce is thick enough to coat spoon, whisking occasionally, about 15 minutes. Set sauce aside.
• Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter with olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Add steak to skillet and sauté until brown and cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steak to cutting board. Add reserved sauce to same skillet and bring to boil, stirring to scrape up browned bits.
• Slice steak thinly. Transfer steak to platter. Serve with sauce.

COGNAC CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Spread the sugar in an even layer in a medium heavy-bottomed skillet or saucepan. Pour the 1/3 cup (80 ml) water over the sugar to dampen it, but don't stir. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and add the cream of tartar or lemon juice. Continue to cook without stirring, but swirling the pan if the sugar clumps or begins to brown unevenly. When the caramel turns dark amber in color and begins to foam a bit, remove from the heat and immediately add the remaining 1/2 cup (125 ml) water. The caramel will bubble up vigorously, then the bubbling will subside. Stir with a heatproof utensil until any hardened bits of caramel completely dissolve. Let cool completely, then stir in the Cognac. Serve at room temperature.
• This sauce can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

SIRLOIN STEAK IN COGNAC SAUCE

Steps:

• Use a skillet just big enough to fit the steak in one layer.
• A bigger skillet will cause the sauce to burn.
• Spray both sides of the steak with olive oil spray.
• Heat a small non-stick skillet on medium high and spray with olive oil spray.
• Add steak and brown 2 minutes (if the steak browns too quickly, turn the heat down to medium).
• Turn and salt and pepper the cooked side, and brown the second side 2 minutes.
• For a 1 inch thick steak, continue to cook about 6 minutes for medium rare (145 degrees on a meat thermometer) or 2 minutes longer for medium (160 degrees on a meat thermometer).
• Transfer steak to a cutting board and cover with foil or a plate to keep warm.
• Add the cognac to the skillet and bring to a boil, scraping up the brown bits.
• Cook to reduce the cognac by half.
• Add the chicken broth.
• Raise the heat to high and reduce the liquid by half, about 2 minutes.
• Add the mustard and blend into the sauce.
• Remove from heat and add the cream.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Cut the steak into 1/2 inch slices.
• Serve the steak with the sauce spooned over the top.
• Garnish with several sprigs of watercress.

MINUTE STEAK WITH QUICKIE COGNAC SAUCE

Steps:

• Put some oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
• Place the steak on a plastic board and cover with plastic wrap. Pound the steak with the flat side of a meat mallet until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Remove the plastic wrap.
• Sprinkle the steak on both sides with salt and pepper. When the oil begins to visibly smoke, add the steak to the skillet. Cook on the first side, 2 to 3 minutes. (Resist the temptation to flip or move the steak as it cooks.) Turn the steak on the second side and cook until browned and an instant-read thermometer registers between 125 and 130 degrees F for rare, between 130 and 135 degrees F for medium-rare, or between 135 and 140 degrees F for medium, 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, peel and mince the shallots.
• Remove the steak from the skillet to a clean plastic cutting board while you make the sauce. Pour off the excess grease from the skillet. Add the shallots to the skillet along with the butter and cook until the shallots are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Pull the skillet off the heat and add the cognac. Gently tilt the skillet towards the flame to ignite the alcohol. Cook until the flame subsides and the liquid reduces almost completely. (See below for an alternative method for igniting alcohol.) Add the beef stock, mustard and vinegar and stir to combine. Reduce until thick, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, thinly slice the chives. Add the steak and any accumulated juices back to the skillet. Spoon the shallots and juices over the steak, then transfer back to the cutting board. Slice the steak, then arrange on a serving platter. Spoon over any additional sauce and sprinkle the sliced chives over the top.