Cognac Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat.
• Add the shallots and garlic and saute until transparent, about 3 to 4 minutes.
• Then add the cognac and flame.
• To do this, remove the saucepan from the heat and touch a lighted match to the edge of the pan; the fumes of the cognac will ignite.
• Holding the pan away from you, allow the flames to die down naturally.
• Add the stock and cream and simmer over low heat until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add the mushrooms and continue to simmer 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; stir 1 minute. Add chicken broth, beef broth and Cognac. Simmer until sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 20 minutes. Add cream. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Sprinkle steaks with salt and pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks; cook to desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for rare. Transfer steaks to plates. Add sauce to skillet; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Slice steaks; fan slices on plates. Top with sauce and garnish with chives.

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a medium stainless-steel saucepan over medium heat and bring almost to a boil. Remove from the heat.
• Beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, sprinkle on the cornstarch. Beat on medium-low speed until combined, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture back into the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, 5 to 7 minutes. (Pay attention because it will thicken and then quickly become scrambled eggs!)
• Immediately, pour the mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Stir in the vanilla, Cognac, butter, and heavy cream. Place plastic wrap directly on the custard and refrigerate until cold.

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, Cognac, sugar, and orange juice. Place allspice, cloves, peppercorns, red-pepper flakes, and cinnamon stick in a double layer of cheesecloth; bundle it up, tie with kitchen string, and add to saucepan.
• Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring often, until syrupy, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard bundle, and transfer mixture to a bowl, let cool, and refrigerate until needed.

Steps:

• Put some oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
• Place the steak on a plastic board and cover with plastic wrap. Pound the steak with the flat side of a meat mallet until it is about 1/4-inch thick. Remove the plastic wrap.
• Sprinkle the steak on both sides with salt and pepper. When the oil begins to visibly smoke, add the steak to the skillet. Cook on the first side, 2 to 3 minutes. (Resist the temptation to flip or move the steak as it cooks.) Turn the steak on the second side and cook until browned and an instant-read thermometer registers between 125 and 130 degrees F for rare, between 130 and 135 degrees F for medium-rare, or between 135 and 140 degrees F for medium, 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, peel and mince the shallots.
• Remove the steak from the skillet to a clean plastic cutting board while you make the sauce. Pour off the excess grease from the skillet. Add the shallots to the skillet along with the butter and cook until the shallots are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Pull the skillet off the heat and add the cognac. Gently tilt the skillet towards the flame to ignite the alcohol. Cook until the flame subsides and the liquid reduces almost completely. (See below for an alternative method for igniting alcohol.) Add the beef stock, mustard and vinegar and stir to combine. Reduce until thick, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, thinly slice the chives. Add the steak and any accumulated juices back to the skillet. Spoon the shallots and juices over the steak, then transfer back to the cutting board. Slice the steak, then arrange on a serving platter. Spoon over any additional sauce and sprinkle the sliced chives over the top.

Steps:

• Trim fat from steaks. Place steaks in shallow dish. Pour 2 tablespoons of the cognac over steaks. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 15 minutes, turning once. Drain steaks, discarding cognac in dish. Sprinkle steaks with pepper.
• Place steaks on rack of uncovered grill directly over medium coals. Grill for 11-15 minutes for medium-rare or 14-18 minutes for medium, turning once.
• Meanwhile, for sauce: In small saucepan, cook mushrooms and shallot in hot butter for 3 - 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in beef broth and remaining cognac. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, for 5 minutes. In small bowl, stir together half-and-half, mustard, and flour. Stir into broth mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Serve sauce over steaks.