Steak Diane pairs tender beef fillet with a silky cream and mustard sauce, finished with a dramatic Cognac flambé for a quick, impressive dinner that’s ready in under 15 minutes. Perfect for a date night meal.
Category
Dinner
Servings
2
Prep time
5 minutes
Cook time
10 minutes
Steak Diane pairs tender beef fillet with a silky cream and mustard sauce, finished with a dramatic Cognac flambé for a quick, impressive dinner that’s ready in under 15 minutes. Perfect for a date night meal. This recipe is for two people but you can easily scale it to make steak dinner for one, four, five or more.
Ingredients
- 15g beef tallow
- 2 x 200g beef fillets
- sea salt and black pepper
- 20g butter
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 20ml (1 tbsp) Worcestershire sauce
- 40ml (2 tbsp) Cognac
- 80ml (⅓ cup) cream
- 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
- mashed potato and green beans, to serve
Directions
Prep and cook steaks
Get your shallots, garlic and parsley chopped and ready to go.
- Melt tallow in a heavy based frying pan over medium high heat.
Season steaks with salt and pepper and cook for 3 minutes, turning.
- Add half the butter (10g) to the pan and once melted, begin basting the steak for 2 minutes, turning, until medium rare and well seared. Set aside on a wire rack with a tray underneath and pour the juices over the top.
Cook the sauce
In a clean pan, add half the butter and wait for it to melt, then add the shallots and cook for 2 minutes until softened.
- Stir in garlic and cook for a further minute.
- Tilt pan on the side and add cognac and set alight to flambé. Be careful as the flame can go quite high.
- When flame has subsided, stir in the Worcestershire, mustard and cream and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper.
Finish and serve
- Return steaks and juices to the pan and turn to coat in the sauce.
Add chopped parsley to the pan, then serve up your steak on a plate, spooning the sauce over the top. Serve with creamy mashed potato and steamed green beans.
Recipe notes
Origins
Steak Diane first popped up in London in the 1930s, possibly as a nod to Diana, Roman goddess of the hunt or it might have been created for English royalty in the 1940s. Either way, it’s famous for being flambéed at the table with a rich, creamy sauce. This version stays true to tradition, just with a few tweaks for better searing and a smoother sauce.
Cook support
I use a protein press on top of the steak to get a better crust on the steak. If you don’t have a press, you can also use a small cast iron pan.
Flambé tips
Flambéing burns off the harsh bite of alcohol, leaving a subtle depth of flavour. Just tilt the pan slightly after adding the Cognac to catch the stove flame, then let it burn out naturally.
Changing pans
You want a fresh pan when making the sauce to ensure a smooth texture. If you use the same pan you cooked the steak in, it will change the texture and flavour of the sauce.
Beef
Beef fillets or tenderloins are also known as filet mignon. Ask your butcher for even thickness pieces.
Alternatives
No Cognac? Brandy works fine.
Serving ideas
Classic with mash and steamed green beans or you could do a green crush salad. You can also add mushrooms to the sauce, swap the mash for fries, or throw in a crisp salad.
