Peppered Steak With Mushrooms

Total Time: 20 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 2
• 1 steak
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 tomatoes
• 75 g mushrooms
• 1/4 stock, cube
• 150 ml water
• 3 tablespoons creme fraiche
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard
• 2 tablespoons wine

Recipe

• 1 put the steak on a board and cut off all the hard fat. cut the steak in half to give 2 portions - each should weigh about 140g by the time you've trimmed off the fat. put the peppercorns in a pestle and mortar and pound until coarsely ground. stir in the salt.
• 2 pour a teaspoon of the oil into a small dish or eggcup, dip the end of a pastry brush in the oil and brush the steaks on both sides. coat the steaks generously with the pepper and salt mixture.
• 3 cut the tomatoes in half and place them on a grill pan lined with foil, cut side up. season the tomatoes with a little ground black pepper, then cook under a preheated hot grill for 5-8 minutes until softened.
• 4 pour the remaining oil into a small non-stick frying pan. place over a high heat and stir-fry the mushrooms for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned. make sure you keep the heat up high so they get some lovely colour. tip the mushrooms into a bowl and return the pan to a medium-high heat.
• 5 put the steaks in the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or according to taste. two minutes on each side should give you a medium-rare steak.
• 6 put the steaks on warmed plates and leave them to rest. return the mushrooms to the pan and warm through over a high heat. dissolve the stock in the just-boiled water and add to the pan, stirring constantly to lift the sediment and juices from the bottom of the pan.
• 7 add the creme fraiche, mustard, and wine, if using, and stir together for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is hot and has thickened slightly. spoon the mushrooms and sauce over the steaks and serve with the grilled tomatoes and a large, lightly dressed salad.