Bonne Année et Bonne Santé

The last time we were in Paris- about five years ago dammit- we went to Relais de l'Entrecote, on Rue Marbeuf. We waited outside for the doors to open along with a handful of other Americans and quite a few French. This huge restaurant pretty much only serves steak frites (steak and fries people, it's not Greek you know.) and they kept bringing the meat and fries out on huge platters to our table. Servers dressed smartly in black marched the food out of the kitchen like the French military. I remember that it was all- you- can- eat ( but nothing like the Golden Corral-ugh)  or they kept bringing more than one portion as we ate. Whatever, we ate a lot of steak and fries!

Anyway, they also served a mean-ass cocktail. We had been drinking wine in Provence for two weeks so were hankering for a shot of booze-booze. Be careful what you wish for- which brings me to New Year’s Eve.

This is our 35^th New Year’s Eve together and I somehow thought it would be boring- WRONG! We laughed, we danced, and we played a hilarious game of Scrabble (someone cheated as usual.) I whipped out my frying pans, put on the same outfit I wore in the kitchen of our pied-a-tier in Paris and created a fantastic (that’s a French word)  meal consisting of steak au poivre, pommes frites, a Caesar salad and crème brûlée. 

We poured wine and booze-booze.  We danced some more, we put on silly hats and laughed until we passed out. When we woke up- it was 2011. We’re still laughing.

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well. Virginia Woolf

Steak au Poivre

Ingredients

    * 2 whole Beef Fillets- fat trimmed.

    * 2 Tablespoons Butter

    * Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

    * 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

    * ¼ cups Brandy or Cognac

    * ½ cups Heavy Cream

    * 1 Tablespoon Good Peppercorns, Crushed

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of steak with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Melt butter in a medium ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, brown steaks on both sides, about 45 seconds per side. Place skillet into the hot oven for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven and remove steaks to a separate plate.

Return pan to stovetop over low heat. Add Dijon and booze, then whisk together. Add heavy cream and crushed peppercorns, whisking to combine. Allow to bubble for about 45 seconds, then remove from heat. Spoon sauce over steaks and swoon.