A Classic French Valentine's Day Recipe

The best French method for cooking a steak: Steak with Brandy-Mustard Sauce. So easy yet so special-occasion worthy.

Greetings, friends. I recently gave my Facebook community a selection of four main dishes, and asked which they would most wish to enjoy on a Valentine’s Day French menu. The Steak with Brandy Mustard Sauce pulled out ahead, and so, I’m pleased to offer that dish to anchor your Valentine’s Day menu. Find it below.

But first, let’s talk about the runners up!

My best recipe for salmon: Roasted Salmon with Pernod Sauce.

2nd Place: Roasted Salmon with Pernod Sauce

I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that so many readers cast their votes for this dish. I thought the Pernod (that fabulous licorice-y French liquor) might turn a few people off. But clearly, many of you know what Pernod can do for cooking! Used judiciously, it adds a light exoticism to recipes. You can use any anise-based liquor, by the way.

This recipe includes potatoes and carrots, so it has all the sides you need in one main-dish recipe. And it can be made in 30 minutes or less, as can many main-dish recipes in my Everyday French Cooking cookbook.

Not a salmon-lover? Read on!

A Close Third: Fish with Mushroom-Saffron Cream

One of the goals of my cookbook is to make everyone realize that everyday French cooking is truly within their reach, even on the busiest of nights. After all, today’s French home cooks work outside the home like most of us do, so they don’t have a lot of time to cook, either. And yet, they’re French, so they require a truly good meal at the end of the day. Just like us, right?

For this recipe, you simply “marinate” some saffron in warmed heavy cream. Then, you saute some fish fillets, then some shallots and mushrooms. Put it all together for on spectacular (and spectacularly easy!) dish.

I can’t post all of my recipes on my blog (I hope you understand). But by request, I will send this recipe to you via email.

Another one of my French fish recipes that demonstrates French cooking at its 30-minute best.

French Stuffed Chicken Breasts. A recipe inspired by Richard Olney, a great American French-food cookbook author originally from Iowa.

A Distant Fourth: Roasted Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Ricotta and French Fines Herbes

Why did so few people vote for this dish? Perhaps chicken isn’t “special” enough for Valentine’s Day? If that’s the case, I’d be OK with that reason. But I fear that the photo doesn’t quite get to what’s so great about the recipe: The stuffing is just amazing—a simple blend of sauteed shallots, ricotta, and French fines herbes, it was inspired by a recipe by Richard Olney, a French-food cookbook author in the time of Julia Child, MFK Fisher, James Beard, and others. He is from my native Iowa, and for that and many reasons, I find this man fascinating.
Anyway, the recipe is great. But I get why it might not be a top choice for Valentine’s Day.

As Promised: The Recipe for Steak with Brandy-Mustard Sauce

The best French method for cooking a steak, in my view! 30-minute cooking at its “Sauté-Deglaze-Serve” best.

This classic French steak recipe reminds me of something one might have orderd in the sort of elegant, old-school French restaurant of generations past. Consider it retro-romantic, but like many great French classics, it’s so worth revisiting. Especially since, unlike many great French classics, it only takes minutes to make!

Beef Tenderloin Steaks with
Shallot-Brandy-Mustard Sauce

As written, this recipe serves four, but you can easily cook just two steaks. Use a smaller skillet—but don’t halve the sauce ingredients. Why not enjoy extra sauce, as long as you’re making it?

4 6-ounce, 1-inch-thick tenderloin steaks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup brandy, Cognac, or Armagnac
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves

Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper, to taste. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the steaks and cook, turning as needed, to the desired doneness (10-12 minutes for medium-rare). Reduce heat as necessary if the meat browns too quickly.

Transfer the steaks to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the shallot to the skillet and sauté briefly until translucent. Remove the pan from heat and add the broth and brandy, taking care not to let the liquid splatter.

Return the pan to the stove and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring with a whisk to loosen any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Boil until the liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 2-3 minutes depending on the stove and the pan size.

Whisk in the mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Then, whisk in the remaining butter. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Arrange the steaks on 4 dinner plates, spoon the sauce over the steaks, top with the parsley, and serve.