Aux Poivres

A combo of white, black, red and green peppercorns with allspice berries and coriander seed. Use this as a colorful pepper grinder fill, and also this goes great in traditional French gravy aux poivres.

Peppercorns have been around for thousands of years, they were once so popular that they were used as currency and were widely sought after.  Now, we have access to these delicious little berries and have come up with creative ways to use them.

Make an au poivres

Literally translated, aux poivres means with peppers. The perfect peppercorn blend is our Spice Station Aux Poivres blend. Each color peppercorn adds a different dimension of flavor. Once the Aux Poivres is purchased, it is coarsely cracked and used to coat a high-quality protein.

The most popular dish utilizing this method is the French dish Steak au Poivre. The cracked peppercorns cover the steak in a thick crust which is seared at a high temperature with a small amount of oil and butter. The result is a rare to medium-rare, pepper-crusted steak.

Make a sauce au poivres

The Steak au poivres is finished with a luxurious sauce incorporating the pan fond, cognac, and heavy cream. In the same skillet, the cognac is flamed, then broth and cream are added and reduced. The resulting sauce is spooned over the steak and traditionally served with a potato side dish.

This rich sauce is not limited to Steak. A sauce au poivres is a simple, flavorful way to add dimension to salmon or pork dishes. The sauce au poivres is made by melting butter and sautéing shallots, then adding a peppercorn medley flamed with cognac and finished with broth and cream.

The sauce au poivres can also be modified to further compliment any dish. Using Dijon mustard, thyme, mushrooms, or any variety of add ins will personalize and balance the sauce to finish any dish.