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Home » Side Dishes & Sauces » Peppercorn Sauce

29 July 2014

Peppercorn Sauce

8.7K shares

My quick and easy peppercorn sauce recipe. It’s made without cream, instead using milk and other common store cupboard and fridge ingredients so you can whip it up whenever you want.

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Pinterest graphic showing a white gravy boat filled with peppercorn sauce from two angles. The post title is shown in the centre alongside the website name.

When I first decided to try making my own peppercorn sauce I wanted to find a recipe which could be made with ingredients I always have at home. I found that most recipes have a cream base, which I only have in when I know I’m going to need it. 

Then I came across this recipe for Quick & Simple Peppercorn Sauce on Stu’s Food which is made without cream. Instead it combines a roux base and milk to give it it’s rich creamy texture and flavour.

My own peppercorn sauce recipe has grown from this idea and is the perfect accompaniment to steak, gammon or chicken

Peppercorn sauce without cream - My quick and easy peppercorn sauce recipe. It's made without cream, instead using milk and other common store cupboard and fridge ingredients so you can whip it up whenever you want.

Can I prepare the Peppercorn Sauce in advance?

This sauce can be prepared in advance and then reheated just before serving.

What is this recipe free from? Who is it suitable for?

The ingredients I used to make this recipe are all free from the following allergens. However, please check any labels carefully for allergens you need to avoid as brands can vary, and product recipes can change over time.

  • Egg-Free
  • Nut-Free
  • Soy-Free
Looking down on a slate with a white jug of peppercorn sauce, cherry tomatoes, mangetout, chunky chips and steak.

A Lower Calorie & Fat Peppercorn Sauce

If you’re interested in a lower calorie, lower fat version of this sauce then have a look at my recipe for Peppercorn Sauce… with a healthy makeover.

Looking down on a dark blue jug of peppercorn sauce with mangetout and cherry tomaotes.

FREE GRAMS TO CUPS CONVERSION CHARTS

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Peppercorn-Sauce-11

Peppercorn Sauce

My quick and easy peppercorn sauce recipe. It’s made without cream, instead using milk and other common store cupboard and fridge ingredients so you can whip it up whenever you want. Recipe VIDEO below.
4.77 from 67 votes
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Active Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
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INGREDIENTS

Metric – US Cups/Ounces
  • 35 g butter
  • 35 g plain flour
  • 200 ml milk - I use skimmed but any type is fine
  • 100 ml chicken stock - or ½ chicken stock cube with 100ml water
  • 1 tbsp brandy
  • 15 g (4 tsp) black peppercorns - vary this according to how powerful you want your sauce to be
  • Salt

RECIPE VIDEO

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Crack the black peppercorns (15g) in a pestle and mortar (if you don’t have one, put them in a plastic bag, wrap in a tea towel, and hit a few times with a rolling pin) – You want to make sure that the peppercorns are cracked, but do not over-grind otherwise the sauce will lose its intense peppery flavour.
  • In a small saucepan, melt the butter (35g) on a low heat.
  • Once the butter is fully melted, gradually add the flour (35g). After each addition mix well to ensure it is fully combined with the butter. Once all the flour is added you should have a thick smooth paste.
  • Cook the butter and flour mix for a couple of minutes stirring regularly – Cooking the butter and flour mix for a couple of minutes before adding the other ingredients ensures that the flour is cooked. If you skip this step your finished sauce may have an odd floury taste.
  • Add the brandy (1 tbsp) and mix well to combine with the butter and flour – adding the brandy at this stage ensures that the alcohol is cooked off.
  • Gradually add the milk (200ml), mixing well after each addition to combine with the butter and flour – I like to switch to using a whisk at this stage as it helps to break down any lumps.
  • Once all the milk is combined, add the chicken stock and black peppercorns and season with salt (I use approx. ¼tsp)
  • Simmer gently until the sauce has reduced to your required consistency.

If you’re making the sauce in advance

  • Once the sauce has cooked, pour it into a jug or bowl and immediately cover with clingfilm. It’s important that you push the clingfilm down into the dish so that it is in contact with the top of the sauce. This will prevent a skin forming.
  • Just before serving, pour back into a saucepan and heat gently until warm. If you find that the sauce is becoming too thick, add a little milk to loosen it the the required consistency.

NOTES

This sauce can be prepared in advance and then reheated just before serving. This sauce is suitable for freezing, simply store it in an airtight container until you want to use it. It will separate a little in the freezer but you’ll find it’ll come back to its original consistency as it’s heated. It will thicken as it reheats so you’ll need to add a little extra milk to get it back to its original thickness.
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NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Calories: 146kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 122mg | Potassium: 155mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 290IU | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 0.8mg

Any nutritional information provided is the estimated nutritional information per serving. Please refer to my guide to Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen nutritional information if you would like to learn more about how this is calculated.


Course: Side Dish
Looking down on a blue jug of peppercorn sauce with a baking tray of chunky chips, cherry tomatoes, mangetout and a dark grey pestle and mortar.
8.7K shares

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Helen MacGregor says

    October 09, 2020 at 5:42 pm

    Beautiful thick sauce. Added a good bit more pepper and used whisky instead of brandy. That was awesome!!!! Might add some more water next time to thin it down.

    Reply
    • Joe says

      January 29, 2021 at 6:25 pm

      HELP?……lol……mine turned out to be too doughy….now what….?….i am no cook…..can it be saves or is that it?……

    • Charlotte Oates says

      January 31, 2021 at 8:09 pm

      It sounds as though it was on the heat for too long and so thickened too much. Try whisking in some more milk and that should help.

  2. Sarah says

    October 03, 2020 at 10:34 pm

    5 stars
    Very quick and easy to make. I used less peppercorns and didn’t have any brandy but it tasted lovely anyway. Also pleased it’s a healthier recipe than using cream. I had it with steak and my husband and son with sausages! Thanks Charlotte

    Reply
  3. Alex says

    October 02, 2020 at 6:04 pm

    Tried a few recipes and this is one of the better ones and simple

    Reply
  4. Paul B says

    September 28, 2020 at 9:14 pm

    Very nice indeed. Cooked everything and realised we didn’t have any instant (don’t judge me!) peppercorm granules left (Asda variety – actually very good). I made this sauce up by hand instead and it rocked. Fine tuning with the peppercorns and some garlic and also probably use Dead Mans Fingers instead of Brandy in future to add a unique flavour. Thanks Charlotte, you saved the day m’dear 😉

    Reply
  5. Nicola McHugh says

    September 27, 2020 at 7:34 pm

    5 stars
    I didn’t have any brandy to hand but this recipe was amazing even without it, I’m lactose intolerant so I substituted the milk for soy milk too and it was so good 🙂

    Reply
  6. Geoff Yates says

    September 06, 2020 at 4:35 pm

    Love this pepper sauce, I used to pay£3.50 for it at my local butcher and this one is better and costs maybe 40p to make

    Reply
  7. Paul says

    August 18, 2020 at 7:58 pm

    Made it a few times and it never fails took a while to get correct amount of peppercorns to suit everyone

    Reply
  8. Chris says

    August 14, 2020 at 7:32 pm

    5 stars
    Used almost as per recipe apart from chicken stock which I didn’t have. It was great but will experiment with other minor ingredients in future as others have. Thanks.

    Reply
  9. Dan says

    August 14, 2020 at 4:18 pm

    5 stars
    The Brandy makes a huge difference. I also used garlic for additional flavour and a touch of Dijon too.

    I also added a teaspoon of tomatoe purée, to get that nice rich colour and some extra flavour.

    Essentially is a bechamel sauce, but adding extra liquid, whether brandy or stock – you can get the same consistency as a traditional peppercorn sauce without noticing the difference.

    Reply
  10. Caitlin says

    July 19, 2020 at 8:39 am

    5 stars
    amazing!!!!

    Reply
  11. Sylvia taylor says

    July 04, 2020 at 6:27 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely beautiful

    Reply
  12. DollyDaydream says

    June 29, 2020 at 8:29 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious.
    I didn’t have any brandy, so replaced it with red wine – which actually worked well with the steak.
    I added in a pinch of garlic and onion powder/granules too. Lovely creamy consistency and very tasty.

    Reply
  13. Scott says

    June 17, 2020 at 7:08 am

    Brilliant recipe, very tasty since we didn’t have cream on hand. We added a bit more brandy and chicken stock to make it a bit more runny, will definitely have it again. Thanks!!

    Reply
  14. Stuar says

    June 14, 2020 at 2:21 pm

    Great simple recipe, I put some finely chopped mushroom stalks in… turned out fabulous!

    Reply
  15. Ally says

    June 09, 2020 at 10:10 pm

    3 stars
    The recipe was quick and easy to follow but not to my liking. It’s effectively a béchamel sauce with peppercorns not a peppercorn sauce in the traditional sense of the term. I will not serve with steak again but might find some use for it with another recipe.

    Reply
  16. Jveggy says

    June 06, 2020 at 8:00 pm

    5 stars
    Great was great first time and no cream!
    I found it better to put pepper corns in a bag and hit them wit a hammer in the garage a few times
    Great tip about cooking the flour in the butter for a few mins too!
    Go Charlotte!!

    Reply
  17. steve says

    May 30, 2020 at 7:29 pm

    5 stars
    wonderful creamy sweet sauce i took libertys with the recipe and swapped brandy for a tsp of jack daniels whisky (what i had to hand at the time) and 4 heaped tsp of crushed peppercorns which was great for me but if i was making for guests maybe 4 lvl tsp would be sufficient a definate recipe i will be using again and again

    Reply
  18. Heather Winkles says

    May 25, 2020 at 5:04 am

    5 stars
    Made it tonight with some rib-eye steaks. I changed it up a bit & added some minced garlic for added flavor.

    Reply
  19. Chante says

    May 24, 2020 at 1:46 pm

    5 stars
    Fabulous recipe! All the family loved it!

    Reply
  20. Nirvana Jalalvand says

    May 12, 2020 at 7:23 pm

    1 star
    Disgusting

    Reply
    • Charlotte Oates says

      May 13, 2020 at 11:00 am

      I’m sorry you didn’t like it! Perhaps if you let me know what you didn’t enjoy, we can troubleshoot what didn’t work well for you.

    • Gaz says

      May 30, 2020 at 5:37 pm

      5 stars
      Quick, easy and delicious.

    • Garth says

      May 31, 2020 at 9:42 pm

      4 stars
      Wonderful recipe I didn’t use brandy but it was really tasty after my 1st effort.

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Hi, I'm Charlotte Oates. Welcome to my lively kitchen where I share delicious, simple baking recipes, baking tools and calculators, and lots of tips and tricks.

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