I recently ate at the Relais de l'Entrecote steak/frite resto on the Left Bank in Paris. It was fantastic, especially the sauce on the steak slices. Anyone know what's in it? Seemed like a thin gravy, black pepper and maybe a green herb (parsley, basil, ?) If you have a chance, do eat there (and get there early b/c there's often a line). And don't forget the profiteroles for dessert. Merci!
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
1068 posts
It was probably just a magical emulsion of pan juices, salt, pepper, and butter. If there were green flecks, they were likely just plain parsley. That is the beauty of steak frites. The steak is pan-fried, simply seasoned with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and a knob of butter is stirred in at the end, as the steak is resting, to make a thin sauce. And thanks for the restaurant recommendation! We'll be in Paris in November - so I am putting it on my list. :D
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10632 posts
A guess: The green herb could have been tarragon. The sauce could be a smidgen of creme fraiche or a bernaise sauce mixed with the pan juices and then fresh pepper corns. Try Chowhound...those people really know their cooking...and then let us know.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
1068 posts
Tarragon! Didn't occur to me. :D Yes, Chowhound and other sites will have many variations on your basic steak frites, but I have it on good authority that the real, basic deal is truly no more than pan juices, salt, pepper, butter, and maybe a fresh green herb. ("Good authority" = actual French friend from France who is a chef.) That being said, you can find recipes all over the web for variations. A popular variation is to use a compound butter - and the things that you'll see mixed ("compounded") with the butter include various fresh herbs, Roquefort cheese, shallots, and garlic. Other recipes willl have you deglaze the pan with dry red wine before thickening the sauce with butter and adding herbs. Yet other recipes manage to get mushrooms shoehorned into the sauce. A few suggest using a touch of sauce Bearnaise, or some extra peppercorns, different colors of peppercorns.... I am still betting on the Magical Powers of Butter. Here's an excellent recipe from Epicurious: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Steak-Frites-40035