Steak with mushroom sauce

Preparation

• 1
  1. Take the steaks out of the fridge half an hour before cooking so that they are at room temperature. [I used rump steak, but you could choose any tender cut that is not too thick for pan frying.]
• 2
  2. Peel and chop the onion very finely, wipe and slice the mushrooms, and peel and crush the garlic. Chop the parsley finely, discarding any thicker stalks.
• 3
  3. Melt 20g of butter in a pan over a low heat, reserving 10g of the butter. Add the onion and cook it in the melted butter for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent it from browning, until it is soft. Add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute.
• 4
  4. Stir the sliced mushrooms into the onions and cook gently for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• 5
  5. Add the beef stock a little at a time and stir, then allow to simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the stock has reduced by half and the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.
• 6
  6. Meanwhile, rub a little sunflower oil into the steaks and season with black pepper. Heat a skillet, with a little more oil if you wish, until it is hot enough to sear the meat and form a brown crust. Pan-fry the steaks on both sides over a medium hot heat, turning half way through the cooking time. Adjust the timing according to your own preference for eating steak, rare, medium or well done. Once cooked, rest on a warm plate for a few minutes under foil whilst finishing the sauce.
• 7
  7. Add the reserved butter to the sauce and stir in well. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, then add the mustard and ground cumin. Finally pour in the cream, sprinkle in the chopped parsley and stir as it heats through to finish the sauce.
• 8
  <strong>Notes:</strong>
• 9
  - I like the grainy texture of wholegrain mustard, but Dijon, English or American mustard can be used instead.
• 10
  - You can reduce the fat content of the sauce if you wish by replacing the cream with low fat crème fraiche and using a smaller amount of butter.
• 11
  - I love fresh parsley with mushrooms, but you can vary the herbs in the sauce by adding tarragon, thyme, chives or dried mixed herbs instead.
• 12
  - This sauce also tastes good with other meats, such as chicken or venison.
• 13
  - To make a delicious vegetarian dish, replace the beef stock with vegetable stock and then stir the sauce into pasta.