Steak Diane (New York)

Add drama to your dinner by setting the sauce to your steak aflame. Considered a signature entree at Manhattan's beloved Drake Hotel, Steak Diane is widely attributed to Beniamino Schiavon, the Drake's maître d'hôtel from 1942-1967. Though many assume the name references the Roman goddess of the hunt, The New York Times, in its 1968 obituary of Schiavon, described the titular Diane only as a "beauty of the 1920s." Steak Diane is a dish made from pan-fried beef steaks served with flambéed pan juices. Like Steak au poivre this dish is made with either a thin cut steak or pounded to lessen cooking times. Sauces is then made with pan juices and a variety of ingredients like butter, mushrooms, mustard, shallots, truffles, cream, beef stock, Steak Sauce and/or Worcestershire sauce. It is completed being flambéed with brandy or Madeira.

4 sirloin or tenderloin steaks
3 shallots, thinly sliced
8 farmers brown mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
⅓ cup Brandy or Cognac
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp. butter
extra-virgin olive oil
black pepper, freshly ground
sea salt

Garnish:
fresh parsley, finely chopped

Using a meat mallet, flatten steaks to make it thinner. Season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat up a large heavy skillet, add olive oil then cook steaks for 2 minutes on each side on high heat. Remove from pan to let it rest.

Using the same skillet add more olive oil, sauté shallots cook for two minutes in medium heat. Add the mushrooms, butter and garlic. Cook for two minutes.

Bring the heat to high then add the Worcestershire sauce and Dijon mustard then pour the brandy, tilt a bit to ignite but be careful.

Add the cream then any drippings from the steak. Gently cook until sauce thickens using low heat. Add the steaks back and cook for 2 more minutes.

Place on serving platters, pour sauce on top then garnish with chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper.

Makes 4 servings.