Sure it’s the holiday season, and there are a lot of parties and fancy meals everywhere. But sometimes (holiday or no) you just want to treat yourself even without a party. Cooking for one doesn’t have to mean dull and boring. Pan-fried steak with mushroom brandy cream sauce is rich, creamy, and just slightly indulgent. The cream is velvety, and the mushrooms add an earthy flavor, while the scallions and garlic bring just a hint of sweetness to the sauce. A funny thing happens to onions and garlic once you sauté them; they transform from spicy to sweet.
All that and it’s still really easy to prepare. You can have a delicious, festive dinner in about twenty minutes. A big payoff without a lot of work!
I’ve made the sauce with pan-fried steak, but it works just as well with a pork chop or a piece of chicken. If you make it with a bone-in chicken thigh, start that about 20 minutes before you begin cooking the sauce, as it takes longer to cook than a steak or a pork chop.
If you’re going with the steak, start that at the same time as the sauce. Then take it off the heat and let it rest while you finish preparing the sauce.
Pan-Fried Steak with Mushroom Brandy Cream Sauce
A rich, easy and festive dinner with earthy mushrooms, silky smooth cream, and a splash of brandy.
Ingredients
- 1 boneless steak, about 4-6 oz.
- 1 T butter
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 3-4 mushrooms, sliced
- salt and pepper to taste (for both steak and sauce)
- 1 tsp brandy
- 1/4 C heavy cream
Instructions
- Season the steak with salt and pepper and start cooking it in a skillet over high heat. Sear on each side, then turn the heat down to medium and cook for 5-7 minutes, depending on thickness and your preferred doneness. If you have grass-fed beef, add some butter or olive oil to the pan, since it's less fatty than standard beef. Remove the steak from the pan to a plate once it's done and let it rest.
- Melt the butter in a second skillet on medium heat.
- Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds. Then add the scallions and cook another minute or two. Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the mushrooms and let them sit, undisturbed, in the pan for 2-3 minutes. When they have developed a nice deep brown color, flip them over and cook another minute or two.
- Add the brandy and the cream to the pan and bring the sauce to a boil. Once it's boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for five minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the steak.
I made this with brown jasmine rice and some string beans, but it would work well with potatoes too, or even just some crusty bread to sop up every last bit of the sauce.
Pan-fried Steak with Mushroom Brandy Cream Sauce Substitutions and Variations
- Use shallots or chopped onions instead of the scallions (I grabbed scallions because I have a pot of them growing in my windowsill)
- Exchange the brandy for white wine and toss the same sauce with pasta
- Add nutmeg and serve it over chicken breasts
- Make more mushrooms and eat them as a side dish
More Steak and Mushroom Recipes
Spicy Beef Noodle Soup for One
Soup doesn’t have to hard, or time consuming. This one is ready in minutes, with only six ingredients.
Cold Leftover Steak Salad with Goat Cheese and Red Wine Vinaigrette
Bright, fresh, crispy, and the perfect way to use up leftover steak. And, you can get your veggie servings in at the same time.
Chicken and Mushroom Skillet Recipe
Perfect for a weeknight, this dish is rich with mushroom flavor. No marinating, and no separate sauce pot either. It creates its own sauce right in the skillet.
Stovetop Coq au Vin Chicken with Red Wine Sauce
A classic French dish updated for busy modern lives. This version needs only one pot and you can make it right on your stovetop.