Recipe BookKitchen FoundationsSauces & Jus

Classic Black Peppercorn Sauce

Name: Classic Black Peppercorn Sauce
Yield: Approximately 2.6 to 2.8 litres, about 35 portions at 75 to 80 ml
Ingredients: 180 g Whole black peppercorns, 120 g lightly cracked, 60 g left whole; 350 g Shallots, very fine brunoise; 220 g Unsalted butter, 120 g for cooking, 100 g cold for finishing; 600 ml Cognac or brandy; 200 ml Dry sherry, Madeira may be used for a richer profile; 1.8 L Strong beef stock, gelatin-rich; 600 ml Cream, 35 percent; to taste Fine sea salt; 0.5 tsp to 1 tsp Dijon mustard, optional

Sauce au Poivre Noir

Cognac, sherry, beef stock, cream and whole cracked black peppercorns.

Silky black peppercorn sauce with whole and cracked peppercorns.

A high-volume peppercorn sauce written for 35 fillet steaks. Whole and lightly cracked peppercorns are bloomed gently, the alcohol is reduced hard, and the sauce is finished with cold butter without flour or starch.

Approximately 2.6 to 2.8 litres, about 35 portions at 75 to 80 ml

Cook this

Ingredients

Batch

Pepper base

Whole black peppercorns, 120 g lightly cracked, 60 g left whole180 g

Aromatics and fat

Shallots, very fine brunoise350 g
Unsalted butter, 120 g for cooking, 100 g cold for finishing220 g

Reduction

Cognac or brandy600 ml
Dry sherry, Madeira may be used for a richer profile200 ml
Strong beef stock, gelatin-rich1.8 L
Cream, 35 percent600 ml
Fine sea saltto taste
Dijon mustard, optional0.5 tsp to 1 tsp

Method

Melt 120 g butter in a wide pot. Add the peppercorns and warm very gently for 2 to 3 minutes until aromatic. Do not fry them.
Add the shallots and sweat until translucent with no colour.
Add the cognac and reduce by about three quarters. Add the sherry and reduce again by about three quarters so the raw alcohol cooks away.
Add the beef stock and reduce by half.
Add the cream and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, until the sauce coats a spoon but still flows freely.
Off a hard boil, whisk in the remaining 100 g cold butter. Add the optional Dijon and adjust salt last.

Chef’s notes

Do not use pre-ground pepper or a pepper grinder straight into this batch. The source specifically uses whole and lightly cracked peppercorns to avoid bitterness.
For a stronger steakhouse profile, move 30 g from the whole peppercorns into the cracked portion. For a more classical creamy finish, increase the cream to 750 ml and reduce slightly longer.

Keeping

For service, hold at 65 to 70°C and stir gently every 10 minutes. If it tightens, loosen with warm cream rather than stock. Do not re-boil after the finishing butter.

Allergens and diet

Milk. Sulphites, from the wine and spirits. Mustard, if used.

Last refined · September 2026