Cooking With Mamma Willetts: One Day

One day I may actually be able to eat a piece of toast without having to share it between 3 other people. One day I may be able to drink a cup of tea whilst it's still hot. The joys of motherhood.

Ah Sunday, my favourite day of the week. Why??? Because Sunday means that the husband takes all the kids bar one (the eldest who likes to stay with me) to his mums for lunch and I have a relatively peaceful day. I have my mum and her husband coming to dinner today which is going to be steak and home made peppercorn sauce, potatoes and vegetables. I say potatoes, because I haven't decided whether to make mashed potatoes or roast potatoes. The recipe comes from my Grandma's Kitchen Collection of Recipe Cards, which will be posted below.

So I'm a meal planner. Does anyone else do this? I find having such a large family this is the best way to prepare meals, ensuring that the kidlets don't get bored of having the same old thing week in week out, and it also means they get to try new foods. I am currently working out of about 6 different magazines and cookery books. I am a bit OCD though, in that I can't just flip through and choose a recipe, I have to start at the beginning and work my way through the entire book before moving on to a new one. So whether I come across a starter, main, side dish or dessert, I incorporate it the best way I can into the weeks meals. One of the new things we tried this week was eggs with skordalia, which is a Greek accompaniment to eggs, almost like a mayonnaise but thicker because you add breadcrumbs and ground almonds to the mix. This is something you should stay away from if you are not a big fan of garlic, as after eating this I ended up smelling like I was waiting to do battle with Dracula!!! The kids weren't overly keen on this as the garlic was the main flavour and a bit too pungent for them, but my 22 month old daughter loved it. To date, the only food that she won't eat is manufactured fish fingers!

Well dinner was truly amazing. I haven't felt as full as that in such a long time. It was on a par to the feeling you have after eating Christmas dinner. I think it was the extra portion of mashed potatoes and vegetables that did it. Yes I chose mash in the end.

Now the recipe for the Steak with Pepper Sauce calls for the use of Fillet Steak but it would have cost me over £20 for those, but one of "Grandma's Secrets" is, "The subtle flavour of fillet steak is ideal for this dish, but Grandma would often use sirloin or rump steak instead for a cheaper option. Alternatively, she would select some juicy pork steaks and substitute cide for the cognac."

I chose to use Sirloin Steak which was on offer and cost me £10 for 4 5oz Steaks. Recipe Below.

Fillet Steak with Pepper Sauce

Ingredients

4 Fillet Steaks, About 200g/7oz Each
2 tbsp Green or Black Peppercorns
1/2 tsp Mustard Powder
2 tbsp Sunflower Oil
4 tbsp Cognac
200g/7oz Creme Fraiche

Method

1. Leave the steaks to stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before cooking - this helps to make them more tender. Then pat dry with kitchen paper to remove any moisture.

2. Crush the peppercorns using a pestle and mortar. Or, put in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin.

3. Sprinkle the steaks with a little of the mustard powder. Spread the peppercorns on a plate and use to coat both sides of each steak, pressing them firmly into the meat.

4. Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Add the steaks to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes per side for rare, 3-4 minutes per side for medium and 5-6 minutes for well done. Transfer to a warm serving dish, cover and keep warm.

5. Off the heat, stir the Cognac into the pan and stir to loosen any sediment. Add the creme fraiche and cook gently for 1-2 minutes stirring constantly. Pour over the steaks and serve immediately.