Peppercorn Butter Recipes

PAN-ROASTED SWORDFISH STEAKS WITH MIXED-PEPPERCORN BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F. Mash butter, parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ground mixed peppercorns, and lemon peel in small bowl. Season to taste with salt.
• Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle swordfish with salt and ground mixed peppercorns. Add swordfish to skillet. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn swordfish over and transfer to oven. Roast until just cooked through, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer swordfish to plates. Add seasoned butter to same skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping up browned bits, until melted and bubbling. Pour butter sauce over swordfish and serve.

SKILLET STEAK WITH PINK-PEPPERCORN BUTTER

Steps:

• Soak shallot in water 10 minutes. Meanwhile, grate 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest, then remove peel and pith from lemon. Working over a bowl, cut between membranes to remove segments. Add drained shallot; season with salt and pepper. In another bowl, stir together butter, peppercorns, and zest; season with salt.
• Heat a heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high; swirl in 1 tablespoon oil. Season steak with salt and pepper; cook, undisturbed, until a dark crust forms, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip; cook about 3 minutes more for medium-rare. Brush with some of butter mixture; transfer to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Slice steak across the grain; season with salt. Toss lemon mixture with frisee, mint, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Serve steak with salad, baguette, and remaining butter mixture.

PINK PEPPERCORN & LIME BUTTER

Steps:

• Beat the butter with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Finely grind the pink peppercorns using a pestle and mortar. Stir into the butter with the lime zest and a pinch of salt, if you like, then whip in the lime juice. Spoon into a dish or shape using a waxed wrap or parchment and chill until needed. Will keep for one week. Serve with white fish.

FRIED CHICKEN AND WILD RICE WAFFLES WITH PINK PEPPERCORN BUTTER AND MAPLE-HORSERADISH SYRUP

Steps:

• For the Waffles: Whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
• Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and oil in a separate large bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until the mixture just comes together. Add the wild rice and fold until just combined. Let mixture rest for 10 minutes.
• While the mixture is resting, heat the waffle maker. Brush the waffle grates with some of the melted butter and make the waffles according to the manufacturer's directions.
• For the Chicken: Whisk together 1 quart of the buttermilk, 2 tablespoons salt and the chile de arbol in a large bowl or large baking dish. Add the chicken, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Stir together the flour, garlic and onion powders, paprika and cayenne in a large bowl and divide among 2 shallow platters. Season generously with salt and pepper. Drain the chicken in a colander and pat it dry. Dredge the pieces a few at a time in the flour mixture and pat off excess, then dip in the remaining 2 cups buttermilk and allow excess to drain off. Dredge in the second plate of flour and pat off the excess. Put the chicken pieces on a baking rack set over a baking sheet while the oil heats.
• Pour about 3 inches of oil into a deep cast iron skillet; the oil should not come more than half way up the sides of the pot. Put the pot over medium-high heat and heat the oil to 375 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches, add the chicken pieces to the hot oil, 3 or 4 at a time and fry, turning the pieces occasionally, until evenly golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to a rack to drain; repeat to cook the remaining pieces.
• For the Butter: Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until combined.
• For the Syrup: In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients.
• To serve: Place waffle on plate, top with 2 pieces of fried chicken, and a dollop of butter. Pour syrup over top.

WHOLE ROASTED BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH A GREEN PEPPERCORN BUTTER

Steps:

• Marinade/Rub -- In a small bowl, add the black peppercorns (crushed) not ground. To crush my peppercorns I put them in a small baggie and use a meat mallet or rolling pin and just hit them until they are roughly crushed. Add the salt, dijon mustard, garlic, olive oil and mix well. Take this mixture and rub all over the meat very well. Put the meat in a glass not metal pan and cover with plastic wrap and let marinate all day. At least 4 hours, but I have even let it go overnight and it tasted great.
• Butter -- In a small bowl, add the butter, green peppercorns drained and rough chopped, shallot, lemon juice, dijon mustard, worcestershire and parsley. Mix well. Then spread on a small piece of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Wrap it up and form in a small log shape. Refrigerate until firm. The butter will be cut in small rounds and added to each slice of beef when served.
• Steak -- Three things to remember. First, always let the beef come to room temperature before cooking. Second, the ends are always thinner, so I fold them in and then tie them with a piece of kitchen twine to make the ends approximately the same size as the rest of the tenderloin. If you didn't wrap the ends in, they would be well done while the rest of the tenderloin was still raw. And third, the key is a good pan sear in a heavy pan on the stove. On medium high to high heat (cast iron or oven proof pan) heat up the butter and oil and pan sear the room temperature tenderloin until brown on each side. Not too long - just long enough to a nice crust.
• Once your tenderloin is golden brown, remove from the heat and transfer to the oven; 450 degrees for about 8-10 minutes. Trust me - there is NO MAGIC time. Everyone's oven, pans and meat are different. There isn't that perfect time that works every time and even when I cook this recipe, each time it is a bit different and it should be, that is normal. I have 2 tenderloins in the freezer. One is flatter and the other thicker, both the same weight. And it is common sense that they will take different times to cook, so just remember that using a thermometer is really the only way to test and to make sure the meat is cooked to the right temperature.
• After 8-10 minutes check the temperature using a meat thermometer; and I take 2 readings to make sure you get an accurate read. Remove the tenderloin just before your tenderloin reaches that perfect temperature as the tenderloin once removed will continue to cook as it rests. I remove at these temperatures as the meat will usually go up 3-5 degrees as it rests. So, 120 for rare; 130 for medium rare; 140 for medium; and 150 for medium well to well.
• Once the beef reaches the correct temperature, remove from the oven and from the pan, cover with foil and let rest 10-15 minutes before slicing.
• Serve -- Slice the tenderloin and serve with a slice of the chilled peppercorn butter. It will melt and drizzle all over the steak.
• Garnish -- If you want, a few crumbles of gorgonzola cheese are a nice touch, just a few. Or another favorite is just a few very thin fried onion rings.

PEPPERCORN BUTTER

Steps:

• Place peppercorns and coriander seeds in a food processor and process until broken apart but with some texture.
• Add butter and combine.
• Place butter on sheet of plastic wrap and roll into a log. Refrigerate for up to a week and then freeze, if not used.