Marcus Wareing's Tender Fillet of Beef and a Green Peppercorn Sauce
In just 45 minutes, you can create this wonderfully tender fillet of beef drizzled in a tasty green peppercorn sauce. Taken from the show Marcus Wareing at Christmas.
Ingredients
For the Beef:
For the Sauce:
To Garnish:
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 165°C fan.
Step 2
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat so it is roasting hot, then add some vegetable oil. Add the beef fillets and seal them quickly all over, until evenly browned. Add the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, garlic, crushed peppercorns, salt and butter to the pan. Baste the fillets with the melted butter.
Step 3
Transfer the meat to a wire rack sitting over a baking tray, and drizzle over the juices from the frying pan. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes, turning the fillets 3-4 times (the internal temperature of the beef needs to be 65°C on a food thermometer probe).
Step 4
Whilst your beef is cooking in the oven, make the sauce. Using the same pan the meat was cooked in, add a drizzle more oil and sauté the chopped shallot and garlic for a few minutes to soften. Add the green peppercorns, the black peppercorns, a good pinch of salt, the bay leaves, French mustard and a beef stock cube. Cook for another minute, then add the brandy and using a match set light to the sauce to flambé. Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple of minutes before adding the double cream and crème fraîche. Finally, add the parsley to the sauce with a splash of more brandy to taste.
Step 5
Use a meat thermometer to check your beef is cooked; it should read 65°C. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Step 6
To serve, cut each fillet into 2 pieces, to make 4. Pour the green peppercorn sauce onto a serving platter and place the meat on top. Garnish with a few green peppercorns, some cracked black pepper and a little chopped parsley. Serve the remaining sauce in a jug alongside.
