🥃 Professional Kitchen · Sauces
Brandy Peppercorn Sauce
A restaurant peppercorn sauce with shallot, two peppercorns, brandy, port, white wine, veal jus and cream.
Behind the plate
Peppercorn sauce needs enough heat to stand beside grilled meat but not so much that it becomes harsh. Black pepper supplies warmth and green peppercorns bring a fresher, rounder spice.
Three fortified and table wines build complexity before veal jus and cream create the body. Arrowroot is held until the final stage so the natural reduction can be judged first.
Why this recipe works
Sweating the shallots develops sweetness, alcohol deglazes the pan and carries pepper aroma, and a 30-minute simmer integrates the jus, wine and cream. Arrowroot corrects the final consistency without a floury taste.
The recipe
Ingredients
- Neutral oil, as needed
- 1 kg shallots, finely sliced
- Fresh thyme, to taste
- 30 g black peppercorns, lightly cracked
- 15 g green peppercorns, drained if brined
- 180 ml good-quality brandy
- 100 ml cooking brandy
- 200 ml port
- 800 ml dry white wine
- 3 litres veal jus
- 22 g chicken bouillon
- 400 ml cream
- 60 g arrowroot
- Cold water, as needed for the slurry
- Fine salt and lemon juice, to taste
Method
- Heat enough oil to coat a large, thick-bottomed pot. Add the shallots and thyme and sweat gently until completely soft.
- Add the black and green peppercorns and cook briefly until fragrant.
- Remove the pot from direct flame before adding both brandies. Return to the heat and reduce safely; only trained cooks in an approved kitchen should flambé.
- Add the port and white wine and reduce until the raw alcohol aroma has softened.
- Add the veal jus, chicken bouillon and cream. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 30 minutes.
- Mix the arrowroot with cold water to make a smooth slurry. Whisk in gradually until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
- Taste and finish with salt and lemon juice. Strain if a smoother sauce is preferred, or retain the peppercorn texture.
Chef’s notes
- Never pour brandy from a bottle directly over a hot pan or open flame.
- Veal jus, bouillon and brined green peppercorns all contribute salt; season only after reduction.
- Arrowroot can thin under prolonged hard boiling, so add it at the end and simmer only briefly.
- Use fresh lemon sparingly—the aim is to lift the cream, not make the sauce taste citrusy.
At the table
Serve with grilled steak, roast beef, pork, mushrooms or crisp potatoes.