Steak au Poivre

There are 101 recipes for this classic but I think Rowley Leigh's is top notch. As he says, some people prefer white peppercorns but agree black is the way to go. Key is to only break the peppercorn rather than ground. Probably a good idea to limit this meal to 2-4 people, using two frying pans simultaneously if necessary.

2 fillet steaks, each weighing 225 gr
2 tblsp black peppercorns
40 gr unsalted butter
30 ml brandy
50 ml white wine
100 ml strong beef stock
50 ml double cream
squeeze of lemon

1. take meat out of fridge and let rest an hour
2. pound the peppercorns in a mortar until they are broken, then sieve out the dust saving for other use
3. salt one side of the fillets and then place this side down into the peppercorns, pushing down well so that the pepper adheres to the meat
4. melt the butter in 2-3 tblsp of oil in a frying pan
5. let the meat color well and do not be tempted to move it around for a couple of minutes
6. once nicely browned, salt the exposed side of the steak, turn them and color the reverse
7. once they are rare, just over blood heat (42 c) if tested with a skewer drawn from the middle of the meat, remove the steaks from the pan and let them rest on a plate in a warm place, ideally a warming oven
8. pour the fat from the pan and return it to high heat
9. pour in the brandy and set alight
10. pour in the wine immediately and scrape any caramelized juices with a wooden spoon
11. allow the alcohol to evaporate to a syrupy glaze and then pour in the stock
12. reduce this quickly by half before adding the cream
13. whisk the cream into the sauce and reduce slightly
14. salt to taste, add a squeeze of lemon
15. whisk in the remainder of the butter and any juices from the resting steaks
16. serve the steaks with plenty of sauce, green beans and some good chips